


The Longest Time

by malwritesfanfics



Series: Red Disaster [2]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Akko does too, Akko doesn't like fast car rides, Diana gay panics more than once, Diana thinks she's smooth, F/F, Fluff, Hannah and Barbara always looking out for Diana, Hannah happens to be a speed demon, Hannah/Amanda is a subplot that is making me want to write a fic about them instead, Modern AU, There is a crumb of angst, They finally have their first date-date, You probably thought the song choice is about Diana, You're not wrong, but you're also wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:54:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 31,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29841135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malwritesfanfics/pseuds/malwritesfanfics
Summary: Akko, Sucy, and Lotte are in a band called Red Disaster. After performing at Chariot and Croix's fifth anniversary, their band gets invited to perform at Café Croix every Friday night. Akko makes a deal with Croix so that a table for six will be available for her band and three other people whenever they perform. Diana, Hannah, and Barbara joins the band for dinner after their performance.Chapter 2 of 2 out.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Hannah England/Amanda O'Neill, Ursula Callistis | Chariot du Nord/Croix Meridies
Series: Red Disaster [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161752
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this fic isn't a reference to how long it is. It only ended up getting this long because I get too many ideas once I start writing. I actually had to cut some stuff out (mostly fluff that didn't make sense).
> 
> This fic is part of a series, but if you only read this one it should still make sense. It references the previous fic a bit, but I promise that it won't be confusing if you don't read it.
> 
> TL;DR for those who didn't read the previous fic: Lotte invited her friend from her book club to watch her band perform. Barbara invites Hannah and Diana to go with her. They have lunch with the band, and Akko invites them for drinks later that night. Diana couldn't make it, and Hannah ended up flirting with Amanda the entire night. Diana makes up for her absence by getting Akko coffee the next day. Diana asks Akko out to dinner the following Saturday, but Akko needs to get her shift at Jas' (a bar) covered for that night.
> 
> This fic starts off two days after 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.' This has two chapters, the first chapter is all setup for the first date and the next performance.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko has somewhat of a rude awakening. She admires Diana from afar. She somehow gets herself into a wild ride. She spends dinner with great company. She comes home feeling like she's never felt before.

Akko didn’t have a shift at Jas’ today, Lotte and Sucy had their day jobs in their respective fields, so the brunette woke up at ten in the morning, alone, in their three-bedroom apartment. 

Except she didn’t know it was ten in the morning. The brunette slept in on her days off until noon. She woke up naturally, and her first instinct was to grab her phone off the nightstand to check what time it was. She wanted to know if she should go back to sleep or get up and greet the day.

Her phone was dead. She didn’t charge it overnight. She never does. She never needed to. She only used her phone to contact her roommates/band mates, check her work schedule, and sometimes look at the band’s social media presence.

Red Disaster doesn’t try hard enough to ‘make it big’ in the industry. They do a couple of songs every month at small coffee shops, parks, sometimes at busy intersections, for little to no money. After all, they only do this band thing for fun. Music was a getaway from their otherwise mundane lives. Their last performance was two days ago at Croix's Café, they were invited by Professor Chariot, a professor they all shared from college, to perform at their fifth anniversary. They held an open mic event at the café in honor of how the couple first met.

Akko plugged in her phone and grumbled in her bed. “I guess I should get up.” She said to herself and made her way to the kitchen. She put in two slices of bread in the toaster. She washed down the buttered toast with orange juice. 

The brunette was still sleepy but she decided to shower before getting tempted by her bed to go back to sleep. 

Akko knew she had the apartment all to herself so she went out of the shower in the nude, and her towel wrapped around her hair. She went over to her phone to check its battery level and she couldn’t believe what she saw when the screen lit up. 

Her eyes went wide. She stared at the screen. She saw crimson eyes staring back at her. She tapped on the screen again to turn it on. This time, she blinked several times. The screen went dark again.

“I must be dreaming.” She said out loud. She put her phone back down. There was no way her eyes saw ‘xxx, yyy, zzz, and 1263 other users started following you!’ Or ‘Your post(s) received 5327 new likes!’ Or ‘You have 349 unread comments!’

It wasn’t breaking the internet big, but it was a considerable amount of new traffic on her social media. Or was it the band’s social media? Akko doesn’t remember which account she left logged on. Either way, people would only find Akko because of the band’s social media. If she was getting new followers and likes, it was because the band was getting new followers and likes.

Suddenly she felt very naked. She has yet to put clothes on sure, but she felt naked in a more spiritual sense. She had always had her online profiles set to public. She never felt the need to hide anything. Now that thousands of strangers were presumably going through her social media history, it made her feel very vulnerable.

“I wonder how far Diana looked back? Wait, what am I asking… She’s too busy to look at… no, she saw the band’s Halloween post. That was back when we were still in college.” She had a conversation with herself where she interrupted herself as she dressed up in jean shorts and a loose tank top. She smirked at the memory of catching the blonde off guard while she was looking through the band’s photos.

Her phone started vibrating violently. She rushed to pick it up and squeaked out a hello. She almost unplugged the phone in her haste.

A very annoyed Croix was on the line. “Finally, you pick up. Did you just wake up?”

“No. My phone was dead. I just finished getting dressed.” Akko woke up late but not that late to warrant that last comment. At least that's what she believed, it was only 11 AM.

“Okay great, I’ll see you soon.” The older woman was in a rush. 

“Wait, what?” Akko managed to say it fast enough before she got hung up on. 

Croix tutted, her annoyance still apparent. “Is your phone not getting messages?”

The brunette scratched her cheek. “Umm, I haven’t had the chance to go through them.” Something with the way she said it made it clear that there were a lot to go through. 

The older woman understood right away, and her sour mood seemed to lighten. “Oh. Right. Well, I asked you if you can swing by the café today so we can talk about your next gig. Your band mates already said they were good for it.”

“If they’re good for it then I’m good too. Why do I have to go to the café to say that?” Akko is a true ride or die. She’ll support her friends no matter what. Besides, she loved performing with them. 

“You don’t. I figured you would also say yes. I need you to go around and put up flyers. I already have them printed.” She waved the flyers around and it made enough noise for the phone to pick it up. 

Akko smiled modestly. “You made flyers for the band?" Her tone came out cutesy. 

Croix took the phone out of her ear to look at her phone quizzically. “What? No, you think I’m running a charity? It’s flyers for the weekly open mic nights at the café.” She said as if it was obvious. It would’ve been if someone had read their messages. 

The brunette is very confused. She had so many questions. She thought the open mic was a one time thing to celebrate Croix and Chariot’s anniversary. When did it become a weekly thing? Why is Akko in charge of flyers? “I thought we had a gig?” is the only question she managed to ask. 

“You do. Your band gets the first slot.” An employee could be heard through the phone, asking for the café owner’s attention. 

“Can you just come over here? I’ll pay you for the trouble.” Croix stayed on the line long enough to hear Akko mutter something close to a yes. 

If Akko was going to get any answers, she’d have to go to the café. She decided to get a rideshare. She spent the time on the way there to go through all the notifications. 

The band’s group chat had several messages. They worked out what the practice schedule would look like if they had to do a song every week. Akko would mostly practice on her own unless she doesn’t work too late. Her shifts at the bar are flexible, she might take earlier shifts so she could practice with the band more. She’d have to sacrifice that good tip money though since patrons tend to only tip when they've been drinking a lot and typically that only happens late at night.

She saw the messages from Croix but it didn’t give her any new information besides Sucy suggesting Akko to handle the advertising. She had the most time out of all of them so it made sense. 

Akko decided to go through the comments in the band’s social media. A lot of them were hitting on the brunette. She stiffened at the attention and opted to ignore the comments. She had already received the best compliment from Diana.

‘Your beautiful voice has been stuck in my head ever since you first spoke on stage.’ It meant that her singing voice wasn't what pulled the blonde in. It was simply her voice itself. A small blush crept on her cheeks on the recollection. 

As if she was listening to her thoughts, Diana sent her a new message.

 **Diana** : I enjoyed lunch yesterday. I might try out other food trucks in the future. Perhaps you could show me other ones you’ve tried?

Akko giddily shook her phone as she squealed. She didn’t know what to reply. She was now full on blushing. The driver looked at the mirror to check up on her. Akko frantically waved at him and said she was fine. He shrugged and mentioned they were almost at her destination. 

**Diana** : If time permits us both, of course.

 **Diana** : Do let me know when you are free for lunch again. And if you managed to get your shift covered for the upcoming Saturday night. 

Akko couldn’t reply right away because her brain was fried and she needed to get out of the rideshare. She made her way to the elevator that will bring her up to Café Croix.

 **Akko** : miss me already? ;)

 **Akko** : i’d love to show u all my fave food trucks! there’s one near the ramen truck that does a mean chili 

**Akko** : i have a LOT of errands to run today so unfortunately i cant do lunch today :(

 **Akko** : my coworker hasnt gotten back to me about saturday, but i’ll ask a different one!

 **Diana** : If it’s too much trouble, we can always reschedule.

 **Akko** : no! i’m looking forward to it! i’ll take a sick day if i have to

 **Diana** : I know a reputable hospital. I have good relations with the owners.

 **Akko:** can u get me a doctor’s note too?

 **Diana** : I can write you one myself, but it would cost you.

 **Akko** : i already owe u two drinks and a dinner. i say, put it on my tab!

 **Diana** : If I recall correctly, I am the one who asked you out to dinner. You do not owe me that. 

**Akko** : but i decided where we’re going

 **Diana** : I allowed it. 

Akko stepped out of the elevator and the hostess took notice right away. She told the brunette she can go straight to Croix’s office. She put her head down and did as she was told, hiding her red face. 

‘Why am I getting hot and bothered at such a mild comment?! She acts so prim and proper but she is such a flirt, in her own way. Why do I have to chase after girls who are so far out of my league?’ She imagined how the blonde would have said those words. The smirk which evoked confidence, eyebrows that scrunched up ever so slightly to challenge you, deep blue eyes that peer into your soul. Akko shivered at the image she conjured. 

Croix didn’t even look up from her desk when Akko barged in. Whatever it was on her computer screen had her full attention. The brunette sat down on a chair in front of her desk and waited. She thought about looking at her phone again but she decided to keep it away until she was done with business.

“Has your band decided on what song you’re performing?” The lilac haired woman clicked away at her computer. 

She vaguely remembered what the schedule looked like. They have a band meeting later. “I think we’re doing that tonight. Do you have any requests?” The band has never done requests before but they may start considering it. 

The older woman gave her the stack of flyers. “The theme is ‘New Beginnings.’ It’s purposely vague so that anyone could jump right in, but specific enough to give performers ideas. I don’t care what song you pick, just let me know when you decide. About those flyers…” Croix took the next five minutes to explain what she wanted Akko to do. 

The brunette listened while she inspected the flyers she was meant to hand out and put up. It had the cafe’s logo on it. It advertised the new weekly open mic event that occurs every Friday night starting next week. In big red letters it said ‘Performers wanted!’ and right under it is Croix’s contact information. She noticed that the event started at 6:30. She wondered if Diana and her friends could make it in time to watch her perform, since they get out of work thirty minutes prior. 

“Are you listening?” Croix attempted to not sound annoyed.

Akko snapped to attention. “Yeah. Go to parks, hand flyers out, put it up on billboards. Coffee shops are good too, I can hit up the places the band performed at before. Should get Chariot to hand them out after her classes or have her put it up on the university’s advertising board.”

The café owner arched an eyebrow. “Great ideas. But I was asking how much you wanted to get compensated for all this running around.”

“Enough to pay my travel fair?” Since she didn’t drive, the rideshare costs would rack up quickly. She could take public transportation for most of her destinations, but it would take her more than a day to spread the flyers out. She didn't have to do it all in one day so that wasn't a problem either.

The older woman sighed. “Akko, I’m a businesswoman, but I’m not going to let hard work go unpaid.” She also couldn’t risk Chariot finding that out either, but she wasn’t going to mention that. 

The brunette is unsure of how much she should ask for. “Are you going to ask me to do this every week?” She could set up some kind of deal instead. 

“Yeah. It’s either that or I ask an employee to do it. But then they’d have to leave the restaurant and if they get hurt out there doing something for my business…” Her voice trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. 

Akko grinned in a way that said ‘you need me more than I need you.’ “So I’m doing you a huge favor doing this because I’m not your employee.”

Croix didn’t like the tone the younger woman was using but she applauded her bravery. She replied with a curt ‘yes.’

“Who did this for you for your anniversary?” The first open mic was two days ago. Chariot was the one who contacted the band about it, but she gave them a month to prepare. 

The lilac haired woman grumbled. “I did all the leg work myself. I hated it. Managing a restaurant is ten times easier.” Akko smiled at the imagery of Croix handing out flyers about her anniversary. 

“I want a reservation for six every night we perform. Dinner is free, too. Like it was for lunch last time.” She didn’t care if Diana and her friends didn’t show up every time. She wants to ensure that they don’t have to wait to get seated if they are able to make it. 

“Sure, but those girls paid last time.” She shrugged and went back to her computer screen. 

“What? I thought Lotte told them it was free? I didn’t even see them pay.” She blinked several times as she went through her memories. She is absolutely sure she didn’t see them pay. 

“Well, one of them called me around closing time. She insisted on paying for the whole table’s bill. She loved the café, the food, the atmosphere. I thanked her for the kind words and told her to come back if she really liked the place. She said she’d love to come back, if there’s another open mic event. She threatened to send £200 because she didn’t know how much the lunch added up to so I gave in and let her pay for the actual bill.”

“Okay, but this time you won’t be taking her money. Tell her the band paid for it already.” Akko thought about who could have done it. It might’ve been Hannah, since she was drinking and she might’ve wanted to show off to Amanda. Barbara was at her book club, but it’s possible she felt bad for taking advantage of a free meal. Diana was working late, but she had time to text Akko so maybe she wasn’t that busy. 

“That’s fine. I feel like I should be paying her. She’s the one who got me to put up your performance on our page and it sparked up other people’s interest in a weekly event.” It meant more work for Croix, but if today’s unusually large lunch rush was any indication, the café will continue to see a surge in popularity. 

“Wait, who called you?” Akko hoped it was the cute blonde she was falling for. She didn’t want to guess anymore, she needed a straight answer. 

She pulled up the receipts from that night. “Let’s see, the transaction was with Diana Cavendish. Definitely a rich girl with a big name like that. Lunch for six is chump change for her.” Akko reacted instantly at the name. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened, wanting to scream, but she remembered she was with Croix so she managed to calm down. 

Croix noticed the silence. “You okay?” She glanced at the brunette who was making the weirdest of faces. 

Akko stood up and shoved the flyers in her messenger bag. “Yeah. I better get started with these flyers. Thank you for everything, Croix!”

“Let me know if you need—Yup. Just leave. Kids these days.” She shook her head and went back to work. 

Akko mapped out her route. Croix said she’d handle the nearby businesses so Akko needs to branch out. There was a bus stop nearby that would end up at the mall. She needed to hit every coffee, tea, or music shop and ask them if they could put up her flyers on their advertising board. She passed by a bookstore and realized that would be a good spot too. 

After the mall, there were several parks she could go to. One has a hiking trail, one’s a dog park, one has several tennis and basketball courts, one has the oldest tree in the city. That one in particular is nearby a hospital by the name of Cavendish Cross.

‘Nope nope nope, we are not bothering her at work. It’s way past lunch time.’ It was already 3 PM when Akko was deciding which park to go to. She found somewhere to eat while she was at the mall. 

* * *

Diana sighed while she went over paperwork. Something was missing today. It was probably lunch, but the blonde skipped lunch often enough that it shouldn’t affect her this much. 

“Diana, you have been moping all day. Can you go take a break or something?” Barbara whispered harshly at her.

The blonde gave her her signature icy glare. “I am not moping.” Barbara didn’t even flinch, she can tell when her best friend is bluffing.

“Let her mope, she’s not used to rejection.” Hannah was only teasing but Diana didn’t take it lightly. Her icy glare turned downright murderous.

The auburn haired girl brought up a folder to hide behind. “Kidding! Akko said she’s just busy today, okay? Barb has the right idea. Go take a break. You didn’t have to skip lunch just because you couldn’t spend it with Akko.” She peeked behind her makeshift shield to see if it was safe. 

Diana held the bridge of her nose. “If you two are going to continue to annoy me with your preconceived notions about my personal life, then I might as well go take that break you insist I should take.” Her two friends knew not to say anything. They held in their teasing grins and shared a meaningful look at each other. The blonde walked away, not without rolling her eyes. 

The workers at the cafeteria all know Diana’s order by heart, but they ask her the same thing every time. “The usual, Dr. Cavendish?” She would reply the same way every time. “Yes please, and thank you very much for your hard work.”

She remembered how surprised they looked when Diana ordered something besides her usual sweetened black coffee. One of them asked if she was trying something new, but she said it was for a friend. Their reactions perplexed the blonde; they made it seem like she has never bought coffee for her friends. Surely she had bought Hannah and Barbara coffee before.

Diana decided to stay inside the cafeteria for her break. She didn’t want to sit outside, the familiar scenery might give her more reason to think about the brunette who refused to leave her mind. 

As if she summoned her, Diana received a notification. ‘Akko.Kagari liked your post!’ She stared at it, but decided to ignore it. She needed to finish her sandwich and go back to work. 

Her phone lit up again with the same notification. This time the blonde laid her phone face down. But her phone kept vibrating every few seconds. She took the last bite of her food and picked up her phone. 

**Diana** : Do you miss me already?

 **Akko** : i’m just admiring from a distance ;)

Diana smiled at her screen. She didn’t know what to say after that. She felt at a disadvantage texting on the phone. Probably because she doesn't use emojis like Akko does.

 **Diana** : Are you busy at the moment?

 **Akko** : Nope. Why?

She called the brunette and she picked up right away. With confidence, the blonde began “I prefer…” She finished the thought in her head ‘hearing your voice.’ She shook a blush away and finished her sentence out loud, “talking on the phone over texting.”

Akko replied as fast as she picked up the call. “Same! How are you today, Diana?”

The blonde was the one to make the call but she was not ready to hear Akko say her name. She had forgotten the effect it had on her. Coffee was not going to quench her thirst, but she drank it all the same. 

“Diana?” The brunette asked again after a delay. 

This time, Diana was ready. “Apologies. I was sipping my coffee. My day so far has been pleasantly predictable.” It was true that her day played out how it usually did everyday. She tried not to sound too disappointed. 

Akko sounds like she’s grinning. “Until I started liking your old posts.” The blonde couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t post often nor do I have a lot of followers. It was hard not to take notice of a sudden interest on my page.” She circled the rim of her coffee cup. It was hard sitting still while talking to someone. Gauging their reactions through the sound of their voice alone is difficult compared to watching their body language.

“You really don’t post often. It took me two minutes to see everything.” She hoped to see more, but it made sense that Diana would lead a private life. 

The blonde knew that Akko tried to look for something Diana would be embarrassed about. “I hope I did not disappoint.” However, her profile is delicately curated to showcase what she is most proud of. 

“Not at all. I like your approach on social media. Most people use it to show off, but you use it to share things you really care about.” Akko noted that the blonde only posts about family, her friends, or groundbreaking research she was a part of. 

“How about you?” She has seen the brunette’s page. Her posts went up to over a hundred while Diana only had around twenty. 

Akko acted coy. “A little of column A and column B.” Diana audibly hummed at that. 

“I don’t have to be there to know you’re raising an eyebrow right now.” It was true, Diana was doing that. She commends Akko for knowing that based off of a ‘Hmm.’

The blonde composed herself. “What about now?” 

“You’re doing that look that says ‘I’m impressed but I won’t admit it.’ It’s the one where you squint a little and smirk at the same time.” Diana is caught off guard once again. She felt lucky that the brunette wasn’t there to see her scarlet complexion. 

But her silence was damning. “And now you’re blushing.” Akko went on a giggling fit after her third accurate prediction. 

Diana grew suspicious. She looked around the cafeteria to search for a familiar face. Across two tables from her, she sees a brunette covering her mouth to silence her laughter. She hung up the call and walked towards the girl who's red eyes went wide at the sudden approach.

The blonde had one hand on her hip and the other laid out on the table. “Is this what you meant when you said you were admiring from a distance?” She sounded upset, but she was mostly concerned why the brunette was here.

Akko put her hands up. “I know I look like a creepy stalker right now, but I have a good reason for being here.” She cowered in her seat, hoping that her act of submission help proved her innocence.

Diana raised an eyebrow yet again and eyed the brunette up and down. She was willing to listen, but she remained standing in case the brunette didn’t give a satisfying answer. 

Akko handed the blonde a flyer. “Croix asked me to post these flyers up in public spaces. I ended up at Jennifer Tree Park and I thought ‘Maybe the hospital has someplace for me to put this up?’ So I went here to ask someone but then I saw you while you were ordering something.” She hoped she didn’t have to explain any further. 

Diana sighed before taking a seat. “You could have asked me.” She stared at the flyer and hid her smile. She’s happy that Croix decided to make the open mic a weekly event on Friday nights. 

“I didn’t wanna bother you while you were at work.” The brunette rubbed the back of her neck. 

Blue eyes looked up from the flyer. “It’s lunch time.” Her eyes shifted back to the flyer after speaking. 

Akko narrowed her eyes. She checked her phone for the time real quick. “Diana, it’s nearly 5 PM.” Her tone was mixed with concern and reproach. 

Diana thought to check the time herself but she knew how late it was. “I sometimes eat a late lunch.” She placed the flyer on the table and gave it a pat. “I will take this and have it put up in the lobby.” 

The brunette smiled sweetly at her. “Thank you.” Her visage changed to that of concern again. “What time do you have breakfast?” Crimson eyes studied the blonde, and Diana felt pressure.

Too much pressure. “I do not understand your line of questioning.” She avoided the question. She knew these questions would reveal her workaholic nature. Something she’s not exactly proud of, but not ashamed of either. She didn’t know how Akko would react to that fact, and it terrified her. Would it drive her away?

“Humor me.” Akko didn’t seem like the type to judge. 

Diana looked to the side, then at Akko. “6 AM.” She said curtly. She did everything in her power to hold a neutral face.

Akko blew air out of her nose in amusement. She rolled her eyes and tried not to look impressed. “Of course you wake up at 6 AM.” But a worried look dominated her face again. “It’s been almost twelve hours since your last meal. What did you even have for lunch just now?” Red eyes locked on to the blonde like lasers.

Silence. There was only silence, and blue eyes shying away from attention. “Please tell me you had something other than coffee.” The brunette didn’t mean it but she also feared that she wasn’t too far off the mark. 

“I ate a tuna sandwich!” Diana’s outburst was surprising to more than one person. She looked around and curious eyes from other tables darted away from her attention.

When Diana felt safe to look Akko in the eye again she regretted it. “So you spent your thirty minute lunch break eating a tuna sandwich.” She was instantly attacked by the brunette with her unimpressed demeanor.

The blonde was not going down without a fight. “I only took two minutes to finish my sandwich.” She crossed her arms, but she avoided the weight of the reprimanding eyes before her.

Akko stayed silent until Diana felt brave enough to look at her again. “What do you do with the other twenty eight minutes?” The blonde flinched in her seat at the deliberately timed question.

Diana had learned her lesson. There is no safety. Silence is a false mistress. Akko waited for the perfect time to press the blonde. Eye contact only meant death. She bit her lip, unable to answer. She had been completely made. 

Akko knew Diana was done answering her questions. “You go back to work, don’t you?” Her tone sounded more sad than disappointed.

The blonde tightened the grip on herself. Akko figured out that she’s a workaholic. It was only a matter of time. What will she think of her now? She feared the worst. Nobody wants to be with a workaholic. It's the reason why her past relationships never worked out.

“Is your family taking advantage of you or something?” The brunette is dead serious. She felt injustice in the situation and thought that the blonde needed help overcoming it. 

Diana looked up in surprise. “What do you mean?” Maybe she hasn’t figured it out.

“They have you working late nights at their beck and call. They don’t give you proper lunch breaks. What else are they making you do?” Akko was connecting the right dots, but she didn’t come to the correct conclusion. 

“Akko, you have it all wrong. I… well, it is true that sometimes my aunt asks me to do things on a whim and I feel as though I cannot refuse. However, my lunch breaks, I can take them whenever I want and however long I want. Within reasonable time, of course. I simply choose not to, sometimes.” Diana winced at her stuttering, rambling self. She doesn't remember the last time she rambled, if she ever has. 

“You choose to have a two minute lunch break at 5 PM?” Akko still suspected that her family was involved with her ill excuse of a lunch break, but she let it slide for now.

“Y-yes. I get off work soon, and I will have a proper dinner.” The blonde was making excuses now. What she said was true, but it had nothing to do with why she almost skipped out on lunch today or why she ate so little. 

Drowning in her work is her way to cope with feelings she can’t handle. She worked up the courage to ask Akko out for lunch again today and was immediately turned down. It all felt silly now that it is clear Akko meant every word when she said she was busy running errands all day. 

Akko dropped the whole lunch thing altogether and asked about a different meal. “What’s for dinner?” She wanted to make sure Diana is taking care of herself.

Diana hoped this line of questioning would lead to spending time with the brunette. “I haven’t decided.” She never decides on dinner. That was up to Hannah or Barbara, unless they needed her for a tiebreaker.

“Have it with me.” It was not a question or a request. It didn’t even sound like a command. It sounded like the most logical conclusion. It had the same energy as ‘Is it raining? Yes. Then bring an umbrella.’ 

“I… aren’t you busy?” Diana didn’t want to sound too eager.

Akko smirked and furrowed her eyebrows. “Do I look busy to you?” It seemed obvious what the answer was. 

“The flyers…” The blonde kept the façade.

“I covered a lot of ground already and it’s getting dark.” Whether Diana agreed to dinner or not, Akko was done for today.

“Work?” She was running out of excuses.

“I don’t have a shift today.” Crimson eyes analyzed the blonde. It was unlike her to speak so curtly. She grinned when she came to the conclusion that Diana was trying to save face.

Diana recognized that grin. “Where are we having dinner?” She asked boldly this time. 

Akko took a moment to think about it. “Remember that place I was telling you about?” She told her about a Japanese restaurant that she considered to have the most authentic representation of her culture.

The blonde hummed in a slightly disappointed tone. “I was hoping to have that as our first date.” She was not against going there, but she looked forward to Saturday for a reason.

The brunette placed her elbow on the table and brought her chin to her hand. “We technically had our first date yesterday.” She winked at the blonde.

Diana fixed her gaze on the sly smirk framed by the hand she held yesterday. “That was just lunch.” Her lips formed a smile she couldn’t contain.

“I remember calling it a lunch date. Unless…” Akko sat up and turned her head away from the blonde, but her eyes remained on her. “Don’t tell me that was strictly platonic.” Here tone feigned worry. 

The blonde’s smile grew wider. “I don’t platonically hold hands to a lunch date.” There was a glint in her eye. She enjoyed the flirty exchange with Akko, who seemed to enjoy it just as much.

There was a silence between the two. It wasn’t awkward. It was a quiet lull that came naturally after admitting to each other that they are looking for more than just friendship from the other. They danced around the topic as if it didn’t matter whether the other girl reciprocated their feelings. In truth, it would devastate either of them if it didn’t work out. That’s why they dip their toes in the pool instead of diving right in. 

After the long pause, it was Akko who broke the silence. “I get what you mean. I’ve been running around all day putting up these flyers. I am definitely not ready to go on our first date-date.” She understands the importance of a fresh shower and a planned outfit. She is lacking in both at the moment. 

“Are you backing out on our dinner-not-date?” Diana was only teasing but in case Akko was no longer up for it, she gave her an easy way out. 

The brunette responded as soon as Diana enunciated the last syllable of her question. “Never. Shouldn’t you be going back to work? I can look up nearby restaurants around here while I wait for you.” She turned her phone screen on and saw even more notifications on her social media. She’s going to need to turn those off if she wants to manage her battery consumption. 

“I will let you decide that then.” Diana said simply as she stood up from the table. Akko mumbled something but she couldn’t hear it. “What was that, Akko?” She picked up the flyer and got closer to the sitting brunette.

Akko has goosebumps all over her limbs. “N-nothing!” Her back stiffened at the sudden approach of the blonde. Her hands clutched at her phone like a lifeline. Red eyes glued on the screen that didn’t move. 

Diana was right in front of her. She looked up at the blonde with a nervous grin. She was about to say ‘Don't let me keep you’ but the blonde said something before she had the chance. 

“Are you cold?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She was unrolling her sleeves of her buttoned up shirt so that she could take off her cardigan. Akko was only in a loose tank top and jean shorts. She had to have been under a lot of sunlight today so it made sense, but the sun’s going down and it’ll get cold soon enough. 

Akko placed her phone down and faced Diana straight on. “Diana! I’m fine. Don’t ruin your pretty outfit for me. I’ll ask for a hug if I’m cold.” She hoped that her goosebumps weren’t visible. There were other reasons why they were there, and it’s definitely not because she was cold.

‘What is wrong with me? She didn’t mean anything by it when she said she’d let me decide, except literally decide what’s for dinner. It’s like I’m a hormonal teenager again…’ Akko hid behind her smile as she put her hand up to her chest and waved it a little as if to say ‘Don’t worry about me.’

Diana stared at the brunette. She had to have been cold. She’d be cold in that outfit. Maybe Akko didn’t want to admit she was cold. “What if I want a hug?” She asked without thinking. She wanted to catch Akko in her lie. As soon as she finished the sentence she realized her mistake. “A hug goodbye, I mean.” She looked at her shoes to avoid seeing the brunette’s reaction.

“Okay!” Akko happily agreed to it and went right in for the hug. She was unusually warm for someone who was underdressed. The brunette pulled away almost immediately and Diana felt very unsatisfied with the loss of warmth.

“Sorry, I probably stink. I’ve been under the sun today and I worked up a sweat.” She fanned herself for emphasis. She felt self conscious being in a hospital where it smelled clean. So clean it felt like it burned one’s nostrils. 

Diana didn’t know how to say ‘Don’t apologize for that’ so she said it with her actions. She gave the brunette a hug that lasted longer than half a second. Akko eased into the embrace and she felt her warmth go all the way up to her face. 

“I promise I won’t go anywhere. Like you said, you’ll get off work soon.” Akko gave Diana three pats on the back as if to soothe her worries. The brunette was babbling out of nervousness. The blonde was nervous too but her habit is to stay silent whenever that happens.

Diana let go of the brunette and they made brief eye contact before both of them turned their heads at opposite directions. “I will see you later.” She managed to say without stuttering. Akko nodded at that and watched the blonde as she walked away. 

The blonde couldn’t resist turning her head over her shoulder to have one last peek at Akko. She was seated, looking at her phone. Crimson eyes looked up just in time to see the sneaky glance. Akko winked at her and Diana smiled approvingly. 

Akko went back to her task at hand. Decide on which restaurant to go to for dinner. It sounds simple, but this is a difficult task for someone like Akko. To call her indecisive would be an understatement. 

She found an Italian place that she thought had an interesting location. It had alleyway seating that would be perfect for a romantic date. But she didn’t want to suggest that because Akko does not look like she’s ready to go on a fancy date.

Diana called their plan a dinner-not-date, but Akko doesn’t know where the blonde stands. Does that mean she expects a casual dinner? She expressed her interest in trying out new food trucks, but Akko thought that it would be best to save that for their lunch dates. 

‘Wait, did Diana ask for a single lunch date or did she imply multiple ones? Am I assuming too much? Just in case, I should save the food trucks for lunch. What am I doing, I need to be thinking about dinner, not lunch!’ 

For a good thirty minutes she made a list of places they could go to in the future, where Akko doesn’t spontaneously ask Diana out for dinner. She turned to her bandmates for help. They said it sounds like Diana doesn’t care where they go which didn’t help the brunette at all. 

To put it simply, Akko is stressing out over dinner plans. Food trucks were out of the question. Nice restaurants are out too because she feels too underdressed. Diana has a great office outfit on with her black slacks, white button down shirt, topped off with a gray cardigan. Meanwhile, Akko looks like she came right out of a beach house. 

She felt like it would be a shame if Diana’s date didn’t look like she cared about appearances. Diana only deserves the best. 

Akko shook her own hair in frustration. ‘Don’t project your insecurities on her. It’s not fair to her! She obviously likes you, don’t ruin it for both of you by turning yourself down.’ She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 

The brunette was still holding her breath when a voice called out to her. “Akko, what are you doing here?” She opened her eyes and saw familiar faces. Her exhale was accompanied by a sigh of relief. 

“Hey Hannah, hey Barbara! I’m waiting for Diana.” She tried to look past the two, but gave up knowing she’d be joining them soon. 

The auburn haired girl raised an eyebrow. “How long have you been waiting here?” Hannah decided to take a seat at Akko’s table. Barbara followed suit. 

Akko didn’t want to explain herself so she told a white lie. “Hmm. Not sure. Quick question, does Diana refuse to have lunch or something?” She had to make sure her family wasn’t taking advantage of her. She didn’t know what she could do if they were, but she’d try something. 

“She usually takes working lunches. Hannah and I had to use the ‘We’re your best friends’ card to get her to join us for the café.” Barbara casually explained while she typed away in her phone.

Akko believes her, she felt like she could trust these two. “Interesting… where are you guys going now?” It was odd that the three of them didn’t come down together. 

Barbara now has her full attention. “We’re going to get dinner at a local diner.”

The brunette blinked several times. “Diana doesn’t join you for dinner?” She was sure the blonde gets invited to their after-work-dinners, but she wondered if she also refused to have that meal with other people. 

“She usually does. If she doesn’t decide to work late, or has other plans.” Hannah smirked and glanced to the side. Akko knew the auburn haired girl meant the other plan was her, which means she ruined their dinner plans. She tried to look oblivious. 

It didn’t work. “Where are you two having dinner?” Barbara asked genuinely. She didn’t have a teasing agenda like Hannah does. Or maybe she’s good at hiding it? 

Akko pursed her lips together and glanced at the table. “Yeah, I’m supposed to decide on that.” She scratched the back of her head. “There’s so many places around here I wanna try, I don’t know which one to pick.” She chuckled nervously. 

Hannah had a twinkle in her eye. “Why don’t you join us? Diana loves the place we’re going to. You can never go wrong with breakfast food with her.” She wants to see how much their relationship developed since meeting each other for the first time two days ago. 

Akko beamed at the invite. It was a load of stress finally off her shoulders. “Noted. And sure! If you two don’t mind.” The brunette left a good impression on Diana's best friends last time, she wants to do that again. 

Barbara shook her head. “Not at all. We had so much fun at lunch, we should all do that again.”

Hannah nodded excitedly and said that it was a good idea. Akko said she’d bring it up to her bandmates when she gets home. 

Somehow Diana had sneaked into the conversation. “You two are still here.” She stood next to where Akko was sitting. 

Both her friends put on a teasing grin. “We’re waiting for you.” Just a while ago Diana rejected their offer going with them for dinner. She said she had other plans, but not without avoiding their questioning gaze. The blonde never gave them vague answers about her plans before. She always gave them a definite reason why she didn’t want or couldn’t have dinner with them. 

Diana remained stone faced as she kept her eyes on her friends. Her demeanor softened when she glanced at Akko, looking for an explanation. “I couldn’t decide where to go. Hannah and Barbara said they wouldn’t mind if we joined them.” The brunette grinned nervously, she hoped Diana was okay with that since she didn't have a backup plan.

The blonde didn’t react to the plan immediately. She had a feeling her friends put Akko up to this. On the other hand, she wants her friends to approve of her. Even though they have yet to establish what they want out of this relationship. So far the only thing they agreed on is that it is most definitely not platonic. 

The auburn haired girl seized the opportunity to break both the silence and her friend’s thoughts on the matter. “We could always get separate tables if you don’t want us intruding on your little date.” She at least wanted to be within eye distance to their table. 

Akko and Diana turned their heads at Hannah. “It’s not a date.” They said in unison. They glanced at each other and giggled at the same time. 

Barbara and Hannah stared at this phenomenon. This may be the first time they have witnessed their stoic friend giggle to her heart's content. She’s done it before but she always tried to hide it. This time she had no qualms having her emotions on full display. 

Hannah didn’t want to interrupt, but she is on a mission now. “Let’s take one car then. I’ll drive.” There was no audible protest from anyone. Diana knew right away where she was going with this.

The auburn haired girl drives a sports car. It could technically seat three people in the backseat, if the person in the middle were a small child. It’s a tight fit regardless for two adults. 

Akko whistled when she saw the car in its shiny red glory. Hannah shrugged and said it was a hand-me-down from her father. The brunette’s jaw dropped. Her father never taught her how to drive because he thought she’d take public transportation forever. She’d never get a hand-me-down like this. 

Naturally, Barbara took the passenger seat so Diana and Akko were forced to sit in the backseat. “I can adjust my seat a little if you need more space.” Hannah called out from the driver seat. She looked at the mirror and saw a glaring Diana, but she paid her no mind.

Akko said she was fine and admired the leather seats. It was nice and cool to the touch and everything about the car impressed her. The cramped backseat included. Her knees could touch Diana’s if she swung it to the side.

“I suggest you hold on tight.” Diana braced herself in her seat. The confused brunette barely registered her comment. 

“Sheesh Diana, you can have her do that in your own time.” Hannah teased as she zipped out of her parking space. She didn’t give her a chance to reply. 

Hannah loves to drive fast. Obnoxiously fast. She boasts that she is a 'wreckless' driver because she has never gotten into a car accident with her reckless driving. She is an excellent driver in a sense that she has great control of her vehicle. If they ever need a getaway car, Hannah should be at the wheel. 

At the first red light, Diana was ready to chastise her friend but she saw how visibly shaken Akko was. No doubt she was not prepared for such a wild ride. She was bouncing her leg up and down. She had a firm grip on the door handle, her other hand held onto the leather seat. Her hair was in the way so Diana couldn’t see her face. 

Diana silently asked for her attention by lightly bumping their knees together. Akko’s shaking knee stopped for a second but resumed. Her head shook from side to side, but she didn’t look at Diana. The blonde suspects that this was not an overreaction. Something else is at work here.

The blonde reached out to the bouncing knee to put a gentle pressure on it. Akko jerked her knee away from the foreign touch at first but she eased back into it. Her bouncing knee slowed to a stop. 

Unfortunately the red light turned green and Hannah indulged in her need for speed. Diana instinctively squeezed her hands to keep in place, forgetting that one of them was on Akko’s knee. She tried to move her hand away but Akko’s hand caught it and forced it in place. Diana pressed her thumb into Akko’s knee, letting her know her hand wasn't going anywhere. 

Another stop light gave them room to breathe. In an attempt to soothe Akko’s nerves, Diana used her thumb to brush the closest finger. It seemed to have worked since wet red eyes looked up to her and she mouthed a ‘thank you.’

Diana’s heart sank. She needs to put an end to this. “Hannah.” She called out with a grave tone. The auburn haired girl had a snarky reply ready. She looked at the mirror to lock eyes with Diana but her blue eyes didn’t have that sharp look that threatened to stab your soul.

Instead, it shone with worry. It was defensive. Blue eyes grazed to the side where Akko sat and went back to Hannah’s brown eyes. Without words being used, Hannah understood.

“We’re almost there.” She said in a muted tone. The playfulness was all washed out. She knew she made a mistake. She slowed her driving down to a reasonable speed.

Akko gradually loosened her tense muscles. She realized her hands were sweaty so she freed Diana’s hand from her knee. She wiped the sweat away on her tank top.

She noticed that Diana never moved her hand. She looked at Diana in the eye again. She had blinked away the tears without shedding any. Diana smiled sweetly at her and flipped her hand on her knee, laying the palm of her hand face up. Akko eagerly intertwined their fingers with her sweat-free hand. 

When they were finally parked, Hannah and Barbara left the other two alone in the car without saying a word. 

“Are you alright, Akko?” Diana asked softly. The brunette stared at her own knees, but she nodded in reply.

Akko released Diana's hand so that she could clasp her own hands together. “I was in a pretty bad car accident when I was younger. Broke my arm and a couple of ribs. My uncle loooved to drive fast. Faster than Hannah, if you can imagine. I loved it too, until, you know, we crashed…” She squeezed her hands together at the memory.

Diana unbuckled her seatbelt to embrace Akko as she told her story. She was afraid to ask what happened to her uncle. She let the brunette decide what she’s comfortable with saying. Diana gently brushed the top of Akko’s head with the palm of her hand.

Akko wrapped her arms around the blonde. She indulged in the warmth for a bit before continuing. 

“It wasn’t his fault, not really. Some other car was running a red light and it rammed right into us on the driver side. He… died on impact.” Akko has told this story enough times that she doesn’t cry when telling it now. It still hurt, but the pain dulled away a long time ago. 

The blonde squeezed Akko tight. “I am very sorry to hear that. I apologize for not stopping Hannah sooner. Especially since I know how reckless she drives.” She grabbed hold of both Akko’s shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye.

Akko patted one of the hands on her shoulders. “It’s okay. It’s my fault for not saying anything. I should’ve known better, seeing the car that she drives.” It was easier to put blame on herself. She tried to laugh it off but Diana’s stern face didn’t budge.

The blonde shook her head. “Akko, no. It is not your fault. Never apologize for someone else’s wrongdoing.” She freed the brunette’s shoulders, thinking she might literally shake her if her message didn’t make it across. 

Akko turned her face down to her lap. She clutched at the seams of her shorts. “It’s not her fault either. It’s me who’s overreacting. You and Barbara are fine.” Crimson eyes took a peek at the blonde. 

Diana took hold of the brunette’s hands. “Akko. No. Do not apologize for how you react to your trauma. It is out of your control, while Hannah can control her driving. The least she can do is give you the choice of experiencing her driving or not, but she did not even warn you. Again, it is not your fault.” She squeezed both hands just before the point it would start to hurt. 

Blue eyes bore into red. They sat there in silence. Staring at each other. Akko smiled shyly and turned her whole body away from the blonde. 

“Trauma’s a weird thing, huh? When you think you’re over something, it comes right back at you when you least expect it. I haven’t had a bad reaction like that since Sucy first drove me. Except I screamed that time, which made Lotte scream, and Sucy stopped the car so fast she left skid marks. She yelled at us saying we haven’t even left the parking lot yet.”

Akko started laughing. Her memory of that event was a lot more humorous than she explained. She even said the story out of order. Diana was unsure on how to react. 

Akko started screaming when a car was backing out really fast and almost hit Sucy. Sucy stopped the car in time, which knocked over a box in her trunk into the backseat, which had a gigantic spider in it for some reason. Lotte screamed because the spider started crawling on her. Sucy left the car to yell at the driver that almost hit her, to which he replied that Sucy was driving fast enough that she left skid marks when she stopped. Sucy said that could not have been her because she wasn’t even pressing on the gas. 

There was a lot of yelling and screaming in this story from everyone involved, until Sucy noticed that Akko was frozen in her seat, holding onto herself. The purple haired girl dealt with the spider and asked Lotte to take Akko out of the car and sit somewhere while she parks it. When all was said and done, Akko asked about the spider.

‘That’s Charlie. He takes care of the bugs at my parent’s garden. I brought a plant with me to put in our dorm, he must’ve snuck in the box it was in.’ Lotte said it’s sad that Charlie had to die. To which Sucy replied ‘I didn’t kill him. He’s back in the box.’ Lotte started screaming again.

Akko was now full on belly laughter. She hasn’t said a word since she started laughing. Her recollection of the memory struck a funny nerve. 

Diana tried her best not to laugh with her but Akko’s laugh pulled her in. The brunette laughed even harder because she hadn’t even told the story properly and here’s Diana joining her in her laughter. In truth, the blonde was worried that Akko had lost it. She laughed with her out of nervousness. 

Barbara knocked on the door by Akko’s side. The brunette screamed something incoherently and held the closest thing to her, which happened to be Diana. Looking at startled blue eyes got her started laughing again and she covered her own mouth in an attempt to stop it. 

The black haired girl opened the car door slowly. She peeked inside and Akko was backed into Diana as she held her own stomach as she laughed. “I’m really glad you’re feeling better, Akko. But I’m hungry and it’s getting cold out here.” She slid her hands up and down on her arms to emphasize how cold she felt. 

Like a switch was flipped, the brunette stopped laughing. “I didn’t know you two were waiting for us.” Akko rushed out of her seat. Diana left the car on her side. Barbara walked on ahead because she couldn’t handle the cold any longer. ‘What on earth was she laughing so hard about?’ It didn’t concern her enough to remember to ask about it later. 

Hannah had a slew of apologies for Akko and the brunette tackled her with a hug. “It’s fine. I just hope you drive safer in the future. I can tell you drive pretty well, but it’s other drivers you gotta watch out for.” Her arm wrapped around Hannah’s body, forcing the auburn haired girl to walk side by side with her. Akko had a sad smile on her face but she kept walking with a spring in her step. 

The auburn haired girl wormed out of her arm to say she’ll make an effort to drive safer in the future. She signaled Diana to take her place. She told Akko she’ll catch up to Barbara because she’ll probably forget to say table for four. 

Diana caught up to match Akko’s speed. The brunette bumped into her with her shoulder. The blonde playfully did the same. Akko stopped in place. Diana was about to apologize but Akko spoke up first.

Akko tucked her hair back behind her ear. “Thank you. For listening. Even when I didn’t say anything. You saw how I reacted and you listened. I really like you and your friends, Diana.” Her hands were clasped behind her back. Her smile was equal parts grateful, shy, and cute. 

The blonde didn’t know what to say. The cold wind bit on her warm cheeks. ‘I really like you’ echoed in her mind. She had a feeling the brunette shared her feelings but it was another thing to hear her say it out loud. 

“Diana.” Akko said her name playfully. Which snapped the blonde’s attention back to reality. Her heart skipped a beat. She has yet to get used to Akko saying her name. 

“I’m cold. Can I have a hug?” It was comical how she said the first sentence. It was exaggerated but it was said with a cute pout. Her question sounded so sweet and innocent. 

The ever dutiful Diana did as she was told. She rubbed Akko’s back while hugging her. After a few seconds she let go and rubbed Akko’s arms to make sure she got warmer. 

She realized her flesh was warm to the touch. “You’re not cold, are you?” She eyed the brunette up and down and backed away. 

Akko was blushing but she replied confidently. “Nope!” She grinned playfully. 

“So you lied to me.” Diana crossed her arms. “How are you even able to stay warm with so little clothing?” Her hand gestured at her clothes. 

Akko turned to the diner. “I can’t really explain it. I do get cold, but I need to be exposed to it for a long time. I guess I retain heat really well?” She held onto Diana’s arm, urging her to lead the way. 

They walked in silence the rest of the way. They found Hannah and Barbara already seated on one side of a booth, leaving the other side empty for Akko and Diana. The two saw the hand on Diana’s arm but chose not to comment on it. 

Akko looked at her surroundings. “This place is awesome! I love the retro aesthetic, it’s like we’re in a diner in the 50’s.” Diana took this as a sign to take the seat beside the wall. 

The blonde waited for Akko to be seated. “It is one of the many reasons why I love this place.” She placed her menu to the side, knowing what her order would be already.

Akko found a burger she knew she’d love and ordered it with a side of fries. Hannah and Barbara ordered the same thing, eggs Benedict, and strawberry milkshakes. One of them ordered loaded fries to share. Diana ordered a chicken hash and blueberry scones for the table. 

Once they were done ordering, Akko had a question lined up. “You three seem really close. How long have you known each other?” She made sure to include everyone in the table. She has a clear favorite among the three, but she wasn’t going to make it obvious. 

All three answered similarly at the same time. They’ve known each other since they were children. They’ve had tea parties since they were old enough to talk. They grew up together. 

The brunette was impressed with their responses. “Wow, that’s amazing. You probably know everything about each other.” She glanced at all three of them. Her gaze rested on the girl who sat across her. 

“Yup. Do you wanna know Diana’s secrets?” The black haired girl locked eyes with Akko. Her mischievous grin met up with her eyes. 

Diana protested instantly. “Barbara!” Her best friend had no trouble ignoring her. Akko turned to the blonde who avoided her curious red eyes. 

“Actually, I do wanna know something.” Akko leaned across the table to whisper at Barbara. Hannah leaned in too, but she saw Diana trying to listen in so she blocked her face with a menu. 

“Is she single? And also, is she a workaholic?” She had a good feeling the answer to both was yes, but she wanted to make sure she wasn’t assuming incorrectly. 

Barbara glanced at Diana who slammed the menu that obstructed her down to the table. “Yes. For as long as I can remember.” She said it out loud. She winked at Akko, hoping she understands what she means. 

The brunette clasped her hands behind her neck and leaned back. “Good to know.” Her lips smiled knowingly. 

Diana shifted in her seat. She glared at both her friends for conspiring against her. She turned to Akko and hesitated. Her mouth opened but she stopped the sound from coming out. Her friends watched her struggle and they both hid their smiles behind their hands. 

The blonde cleared her throat. “Akko, if you wanted to know anything about me, you could have asked me directly.” She faced Akko when she spoke but turned away right after. 

Akko leaned on the table with her elbow, facing Diana. “I know, but then I wouldn’t get to see you squirm in your seat like that.” The blonde turned to the wall. She muttered a few things under her breath. 

‘I knew this would happen. Why did I agree to this?’ Her Scottish accent was bleeding through, but she had enough restraint not to reveal it. She mastered hiding her natural accent at a young age. 

Hannah liked Akko already, but the brunette had a strong effect on her best friend. “Oh, I like her a lot, Diana.” She’s never seen a flustered Diana before. 

The auburn haired girl thought that she was safe. “Do you have a thing for bartenders, Hannah?” No one is safe when Akko is oozing with confidence. 

Hannah didn’t answer. She pretended to check something on her phone. Barbara was confused, Diana looked at the auburn haired girl and then at Akko to get a read on the situation. Someone asked ‘what do you mean?’ and Akko didn’t care where it came from. 

“I mean, I’m one. And Amanda’s…” The brunette’s grin had a mischievous glow.

Hannah had no time to pretend. “Akko, shut up!” She demanded with a threatening finger. 

Barbara was the only one out of the loop. “Wait, who’s Amanda?” She wondered how Diana and Akko knew but she didn’t. They both sported a sly grin directed at Hannah. 

The auburn haired girl turned to her friend sitting beside her. “Nobody.” She went back to pointing a finger at Akko. “You don’t know anything.” Her tone was determined, mixed with unsaid warnings. 

Akko shrugged and brought her phone out. “All I know is someone by the name of Hannah texted me in the middle of the night saying that she never made it home and had to crash at a certain Amanda’s apartment.” She found the offending text and showed it to Barbara.

The black haired girl reached for the phone for a better angle. “Let me see… Oh my god, it’s true, she has receipts!” Her excitement showed on her face. She looked like a little kid opening Christmas presents.

Diana didn’t need to see the text. “Akko was telling me that Hannah was flirting with the barkeep.” They had the conversation in text form when Diana couldn’t make it for drinks with Akko that night. Hannah made it, but was promptly distracted by the bartender as soon as she got there.

Hannah buried her face in her hands. “Not you too.” She peeked to show her anguish to Diana who felt no remorse in partaking in the auburn haired girl’s embarrassment. 

Barbara elbowed her best friend. “Is that why you were late yesterday?” She started to connect the dots. Hannah is never late because she makes up for late mornings with her driving speed. She said she was hungover but she wasn’t a firecracker ready to go off at the first sign of irritation. 

Hannah wondered how the tables had turned on her. The first few plates of food got served and she felt like she didn’t need to answer. She readied her utensils but her plate was pulled away. 

Diana didn’t let up. She told Hannah that it was rude to start eating when other people needed to wait for their food to arrive. 

The auburn haired girl had no escape. “Okay fine. I stayed over at Amanda’s. Happy?” She stared at her food. At least her food wouldn’t pry into her private life. 

Barbara, the connoisseur of tea would not let this one go cold. “Nope. We already knew that. We want details!” She banged her fist on the table. Akko didn’t say anything but she agreed, and so did Diana. 

Hannah looked up towards Akko’s direction. “Promise you won’t say anything?” The brunette looked around and realized Hannah was talking about her. 

“Oh. To Amanda? Yeah, no problem. Not like I tell her anything, anyway.” Akko is good friends with Amanda, but there are topics she avoids when talking to her. The American is an active member of the tease Akko endlessly squad. She knew not to give her reasons to start. 

Hannah told the table, because she can’t face any of the three sitting at the table, that she first thought that Amanda was a guy. Akko said her name and she felt embarrassed at first. When she saw Amanda walking towards her with a swagger, her embarrassment turned into something else. They locked eyes and she saw a beautiful shade of green in them.

And then Amanda spoke. Her American accent stood out like a sore thumb. Hannah didn’t even know she liked American accents. She was instantly enamored. 

“Wait a sec, I have an American accent.” Akko said out loud. She covered her mouth at her own interruption. It’s true that her English accent sounded more American than British. She was exposed to American accents at a young age watching American cartoons. 

“Yeah but yours is… Diana help me out here.” Hannah thought she could shoot two birds with one stone. She didn’t know how to describe Akko’s accent but she also wanted to tease Diana. She knows how much her friend likes Akko’s voice. 

Diana didn’t miss a beat. “Cute.” She drank water to show how unfazed she is about the question and her answer. Akko smiled shyly and thanked her for the compliment. 

Hannah agreed in a delighted tone. “Yeah! And Amanda sounds cool.” She enunciated the vowels as if to emphasize how cool she is. 

Akko narrowed her eyes, furrowed her eyebrows, and leaned her head back a bit. “Are you saying I sound lame?” She sounded more offended than she meant to be. 

Barbara clapped lightly for everyone’s attention. “Akko, darling, you’re dumb cute. Hannah, continue.” She did not like this distraction. 

Akko muttered the words ‘I’m dumb cute?’ to herself. Diana’s smile meant she silently agreed to that statement. 

“Long story short. We flirted. I asked when her shift was over. I ended up staying the night. Do I have to explain the rest?” Everyone else’s food arrived and she wanted to stop talking about her. 

Something didn’t add up. “Why did she take you to her apartment?” Barbara can tell that Hannah was hiding something. 

“It was closer.” Hannah fired her reply instantly. 

The black haired girl examined her friend’s every movement. Hannah isn’t afraid to call her family’s driver in the middle of the night. She never stays over for one night stands. She wasn’t shy about bringing them to her apartment either. She found ways to kick them out by morning. 

The auburn haired girl was doing a terrible job pretending she doesn’t see Barbara’s scrutinizing eyes. “What aren’t you telling us?” The black haired girl hissed at her, she stomped her foot out of impatience. 

Hannah sighed heavily. “We’re going on a date Saturday night. There is nothing else to say. Can you leave me alone now, please?” There were other things she could say, but she would rather not admit it. Not yet at least. 

This satisfied Barbara. Hannah doesn’t go on dates, she finds most people boring. She goes straight for the fun part when she finds someone attractive. If they wanted anything more, the auburn haired girl cut ties with them right away. The only reason why Hannah would agree to a date is if she wanted more than just sex. She had more questions, but she was willing to let it go for now. Maybe Hannah didn't feel like talking about it around Akko, who still barely knows any of them.

“So that’s why Amanda hasn’t replied to me.” Akko said in a neutral tone. She said it to herself but it caught the entire table’s attention. Barbara began eating her food but her watchful eyes turned to the girl across her.

“What time does your shift start?” Diana kept her attention at her food when she asked the question. 

Akko pouted. “Six.” She sounded very unhappy this time. “I close, too.” She shoved food in her mouth to alleviate her sadness. 

Barbara and Hannah asked what was going on. Diana explained that she and Akko were supposed to go on a date on Saturday night, but Akko needs to get her shift covered. She asked Amanda but she never replied. 

“If I tell Jasminka tonight, she’ll forgive me.” The owner can be strict at times but Akko is a diligent worker. She’d let this one time slide. At least, that’s what Akko hopes. 

Diana tried to reason with the brunette again. Rescheduling wasn’t a big deal. She reminded her that she still owes her two drinks, so she could come visit her while she’s working. 

Akko and Diana went back and forth arguing about rescheduling their date. Hannah thought there was something she could do to help them.

 **Hannah** : Don’t ask how I know, but can you take over Akko’s shift for Saturday night? 

**Amanda** : this about ur friend u setting up w/ her?

 **Hannah** : Yes. The last date she went on, she came back saying she doesn’t like guys. 

**Amanda** : what makes u think she wont come back saying she doesnt like girls?

 **Hannah** : She definitely likes this one.

 **Amanda** : ur friend is weird

 **Hannah** : So? Are you going to take over her shift or not?

 **Amanda** : uhh

 **Amanda** : idk if u forgot but u asked me out for that night too

 **Hannah** : I haven’t forgotten. We can reschedule.

 **Amanda** : but i’m all excited for this date already

 **Amanda** : maybe i don’t want to reschedule

 **Hannah** : Amanda, can you do this for me, please?

 **Amanda** : why can’t they reschedule? why it gotta be us 

**Hannah** : Fine. I’ll do anything you want. 

**Amanda** : anything? ;)

 **Hannah** : Don’t test me, O’Neill.

 **Amanda** : my request is simple

 **Amanda** : you can do it right now, actually

 **Amanda** : tell Akko her shift is covered, and to thank me

 **Amanda** : i’ll be waiting for her message ;)

Hannah stared at her phone. The request is simple to be sure, but there was an ulterior motive. Amanda probably figured out that she was with Akko. What she doesn’t understand is how the American figured out that Hannah wanted to keep her a secret from her other friends. 

The auburn haired girl sighed again. She laid her phone face down. “Akko. Amanda says she’ll cover your shift. Please thank her. Right now.” She prepared for an onslaught of questions. 

Silence fell on the table. “Don’t make me repeat what I said.” She begged as she picked at her food with her fork. 

Akko muttered okay and did as she was told. 

“Thank you, Hannah. However, you did not need to cancel your date for our sake.” Diana concealed her true feelings of the situation by finishing her food.

“I didn’t cancel anything.” Hannah said with finality in her voice. She was not willing to speak any more about the matter. 

“Do you have a picture of this Amanda person?” Barbara knew not to ask Hannah so her question was directed at Akko.

Akko and Amanda had hung out recently at a club. She had pictures she has yet to put up on her social media. She handed her phone to Barbara after making sure there were no photos she’d be embarrassed about. 

Hannah peeked over her friend’s shoulder as she swiped through the photos. “Her hair is done up differently in these photos, Akko.” She took the phone and handed it back to Akko. Barbara sneered at her friend but decided to let it go. 

“Ah, right you met her on Tuxedo Tuesday. I think there’s a photo on the bar’s social media. It’s ‘Jas.blytonbury’ with a J.” Akko explained and the three girls tapped away at their phones. It was the perfect opportunity to finish her food.

Barbara found the post and told her friends how to find it. She commented on how it made sense Hannah found the girl attractive. She’s a sucker for green eyes. 

Hannah rolled her eyes at the comment. She looked across her to see her other friend’s reaction, but she was busy zooming into a picture. “You see something you like, Diana?” She asked in a teasing tone. It’s about time the attention shifted to her. 

Diana was not afraid to admit what she was looking at. “Akko’s bow tie is crooked in this photo.” She held her phone up to show Hannah. 

“What? No way.” Akko wiped her hands so that she could touch her phone to see for herself. 

“Hmm, she’s right.” Hannah shrugged. It was not unusual for Diana to notice something like that. 

The brunette didn’t bother looking at the photo. “Wow, tough crowd.” She accepted defeat. Both her elbows rested on the table and she brought her chin to her hands. 

Diana didn’t want to leave her with that note. “Regardless, you look very dashing in the photo, Akko.” She put her phone down and waited for the brunette to respond. She hoped it would make her blush. 

Akko didn’t move her hands, but she shifted her face to look at Diana. Her smile looked silly after she thanked the blonde. She blinked several times while she stared at the blue eyes that won’t leave her. 

Diana winked at the brunette. It’s not something she’s done to anybody before, but she wanted to know how Akko would react to it. She topped it off with a smirk so devious not even the devil himself could resist it. 

Crimson eyes went wide and Akko turned her face to the aisle. One hand shifted from her chin to cover her mouth. She was blushing, but the blonde wouldn’t have been able to see it.

Hannah and Barbara stared at the whole exchange in awe. Diana is flirting. She’s responded to flirtations before, but they had never witnessed her actively flirt with another person. 

The waitress took the finished plates away and asked if anyone wanted to order dessert or if they wanted the bill. The table was happy with the bill. Diana asked Akko to hand it to her, and the brunette took a peek to see how much her order cost. 

Barbara insisted on paying for the whole thing. “It’s my turn, and I have to thank Akko for the entertainment. I saw a side of you _and_ Hannah today that I’ve never seen before.” She told the blonde before snatching the bill away from Akko. 

Akko tried to pay for her part of the bill but Barbara shook her head. “Look at me with your puppy dog eyes all you want, but I’m not letting you pay for anything. It would probably work on Diana, should try it on her sometime.” She picked the card she was going to use and placed the bill far enough away from the other girls.

The blonde turned her face away from the brunette preemptively. She knew she was not ready to see her face like that. It only made Akko sulk harder.

The black haired girl turned to her friend beside her. “Seriously, Hannah, why did you try to hide Amanda from us?” They shared everything. They knew which topics were off limits and this was not one of them. 

“I was going to tell you everything eventually.” Her eyes searched for something meaningful on the wall. She placed her chin on her fist. 

Barbara didn’t like that answer but hummed disappointedly in response. 

“I believe Hannah did not anticipate liking this girl.” Diana said plainly as she analyzed Hannah’s demeanor.

The auburn haired girl arched her eyebrow. There’s an easy retort lined up. Hannah decided to take the bait. “I think you’re projecting, Diana.” Her brown eyes shifted to the blonde then to the brunette then back to the blonde. 

Diana replied with a smug smile. “I am not the one who deflects attention away when their feelings are under scrutiny.” Hannah didn’t have a reply for that so she stayed quiet. 

Barbara got the receipt and signed it. “First Diana, now Hannah. When is it my turn to catch feelings?” She sighed and got out of her seat.

Akko chose not to participate in this conversation. She acted like a fly on the wall. She wondered whether her friend dynamic with the band had a similar energy. 

The trio kept their conversation as they walked back to Hannah’s car. Akko trailed next to Diana in silence. Before entering the car, Diana pulled Akko away to ask her if she was okay since she hasn’t said anything in a while. 

“I’m fine. I didn’t think I had anything to contribute, but I was listening.” It was a nice change of pace since Akko tries her best to keep conversations going, but she didn’t need to do that with this group.

Diana was worried Akko got anxious thinking about the car ride back to the hospital. The brunette had forgotten about earlier until now. She trusted Hannah to remember so she remained calm.

The two of them got into the backseat and Hannah turned on the engine. 

“I apologize again for earlier, Akko. I rescheduled my date with Amanda to make amends with you.” Hannah waited for her reply before she moved out of the parking spot. 

“You didn’t have to do that, but I really appreciate it. I hope you and Amanda have fun whenever you do get on with that date.” Akko is in a chipper mood after being reminded that her date with Diana didn't need to be rescheduled.

Their first real date. Calling it their first date meant that the two of them will meet up with an agenda. They aim to figure out if their mutual attraction to each other is compatible.

It’s clear that they both like each other, but that was not enough to build a good long lasting relationship. They have yet to admit to each other that they are seeking for something long term. 

They returned to the hospital parking lot before Akko could really think about what she wanted to ask Diana. Barbara got dropped off by her car and Hannah knew where Diana’s car was so she was leaving her for last. 

“Akko, where did you park?” Hannah asked politely. 

“I don’t drive, I was hoping someone could drop me off at the station.” The brunette wouldn't dare to ask for a ride home. She felt like an inconvenience already.

Diana spoke up instantly. “It is late. I will take you straight home.” Hannah approved of the plan and made her way to Diana’s car. 

The brunette had a finger up in protest. “Akko, it is not an offer.” Diana shut her up before she could even speak. Akko held her head low at the quick rejection. 

Hannah popped her window open as the two left her car. “Maybe you should take her to your home instead, have her stay the night.” She wanted to tease the blonde one more time before calling it a night.

The auburn haired girl anticipated the classic ice queen glare but what she got in return was something she was not ready for. Diana came up to her window and leaned in close so that Hannah could hear her loud and clear. 

“I will not make the same mistake as you have. You regret it, do you not?” Her blue eyes questioned the auburn haired girl with an intensity she has never seen before.

Hannah backed away from her window. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She debated putting the window up to get Diana out of there, but she feared what the blonde might do in retaliation. 

“As your best friend I am required to put some sense into you. I am aware that you distract yourself with my personal life so that you could ignore yours. You need to be honest with Amanda if she seeks a relationship with you.” She looked over her shoulder to check on Akko. She was distracting herself with her phone. Diana hit a button to unlock the doors and told Akko she can get in while she finishes up with Hannah. 

“Diana.” Hannah tried to interrupt the lecture she didn’t ask for.

But the blonde is relentless. “You are usually quick to drop your partners when they develop feelings you cannot return.” Diana admired Hannah’s blunt honesty. It was better than stringing people along to believe that they have a chance for something more. 

“Listen—.” The auburn haired girl tried but failed yet again to stop Diana from her reprimanding.

Diana was getting annoyed with the interruptions so she used a harsher tone. “I hope you are not going soft on Amanda because she is a woman. That is simply sexist, despite both of you being women. Women can handle the harsh truth just as much as men could." Hannah never lost any nerve breaking things off with her male partners, the blonde thought she shouldn't feel any different with female ones.

Hannah tried to squeeze in while Diana was taking a breath. “If you just let me—.”

The blonde raised her hand to stop Hannah from speaking. “I don’t even understand why you agreed to a date in the first place when you know you—.”

Hannah has had enough of this. Her booming voice commanded Diana’s attention. “I asked _her_ out. Not the other way around.” She was embarrassed but it felt like a huge weight off her shoulders to let the truth out. 

Diana looked at her with bewilderment. She was speechless. 

Hannah continued. “I _like_ Amanda. For more than the sex. I think I liked her _before_ the sex.” The rest of the truth spilled out with ease. 

The blonde opened her mouth wide in shock. She covered it with her hand. She uncovered it to try to speak but nothing came out so she covered it again.

When they were at the diner, when she said that Hannah didn't anticipate liking Amanda, she meant it as friends. That’s why Diana thought she regretted sleeping with her. Most of Hannah’s sexual partners can never be her friend because they have difficulty sorting out their feelings for her. She didn’t think it was the other way around. 

The auburn haired girl chuckled as if reading her friend’s mind. “I know, right? I couldn’t believe it either.” Hannah always thought herself as aromantic but that all changed when she met Amanda. 

The blonde apologized for assuming. She apologized again for chastising her for something her friend didn’t even do. She apologized one more time for not letting Hannah explain herself sooner. 

Hannah dismissed all of the apologies with a wave of her hand. “You’re right though. I do regret it. I wish I kept it in my pants before we had our first date. I don’t want to know what I’m missing out on when Amanda inevitably doesn’t want to be with someone as messed up as me.” Her eyes drifted to the steering wheel. She wanted to go home and drink away her sorrows. 

Diana’s face switched to one of disgust. “It is unlike you to put yourself down like this. Please have a good night’s rest before speaking to me again. I do not know this woman who does not carry herself with an unabashed grace. Have a good night, Miss England.” She hoped that her feigned anger made her point.

It put a smile on Hannah’s face. “Thanks Diana.” She called out to the blonde and she replied with a wave before getting into her car.

“Everything okay?” Akko asked with concern all over her face. 

“Yes. I spoke to her about a troubling issue, but it is dealt with. For now.” Diana was not one to talk about other people’s business so she kept it vague. 

“It isn’t about her driving, is it? She doesn’t have to change for my sake.” Akko asked shyly. She felt guilty despite being told she shouldn’t feel guilty about her past trauma. 

Diana smiled at the brunette mysteriously. “Not everything is about you, Miss Kagari.” The brunette blushed furiously and decided to take the embarrassment in silence. 

They sat in a comfortable silence as Diana drove Akko home. At this point, Akko would usually make small chatter to fill the void, but she noticed how the blonde seemed to be thinking about something and she didn't want to interrupt.

The brunette was staring out the window when she realized something. “How do you know where to go?” She saw familiar sights that hinted they were getting close to her home. 

“You told me you lived close to the bar.” Diana remembered how to get there despite not having been there before. Akko hummed a delighted note. 

Realizing her time with the blonde was reaching to an end, there were things she needed to say. “I had a lot of fun tonight.” Akko smiled at Diana, knowing she was busy keeping her eyes on the road. 

The blonde felt the warm gesture directed at her. “As did I. It delights me that my friends have taken a liking to you.” She smiled sweetly at the road. 

An idea sprouted in Akko’s mind. “Next time, you should have dinner with me and my friends.” She suggested with excitement.

Diana liked that idea. “Let me know when. Through text this time, you need not visit me at the hospital.” She took a quick glance at the brunette to tease her when it was safe to do so. 

Akko didn’t let the blonde get to her. “Dang. But catching you off guard made my night.” She didn’t plan on seeing Diana today but she ended up spending a couple of hours with her. 

“I am certainly not stopping you from wasting your own time.” Diana would actually appreciate surprise visits from the brunette but she doesn’t want to encourage it. 

“I wouldn’t call spending time with you a waste of time.” Akko sank in her seat and smiled. Spending time with Diana felt like she was a feather falling down through a tunnel of warmth that didn’t end. 

“What would you call it?” The blonde kept her eyes on the road but the temptation to glance to the side was unbearable. 

The brunette didn’t have time to explain. “Hmm. Oh, we’re close! Turn left here, then a right at the stop sign.” The blonde followed the instructions and made a mental note of them. Thanks to her photographic memory, she’ll remember how to get to Akko’s apartment without the address. 

Akko tapped the window with her finger. “You can stop by that trash can.” Diana stopped the car and turned the hazard lights on. 

Akko unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned towards the blonde. “Thanks for everything, Diana!” She planted a soft kiss on the blonde’s cheek before rushing out of the car. She said good night before shutting the door. 

Diana put both her hands on her burning cheeks. It all happened so quickly. It made her greedy for more. Next time, she won’t let Akko get away so easily. Next time, the kiss won’t be on the cheek. Next time, it would be her to initiate the kiss.

Akko entered her shared apartment humming a tune. She started getting into it and snapped her fingers along the beat. Her body moved by itself, dancing along to the melody as she went deeper into the apartment. 

“You’re in a good mood.” Sucy observed the brunette having a jam session with herself. She was sitting on the couch, having pizza beside Lotte.

The orange haired girl asked what she was humming. Akko moved towards her and bent down on one knee. She grabbed one of Lotte’s hands and serenaded her. 

_I really like, what you’ve done to me_

_I can’t really explain it, I’m so into you_

Lotte pulled her legs up to her chest. “Akko, you’re gonna make me blush.” The brunette was still holding onto one of her hands. Lotte had her free hand on her cheek. 

Akko finished the chorus for the song _So Into You_ by Tamia. She would’ve sang more but she’s forgotten how the rest of the song went.

She released Lotte’s hand and stood up. She placed both her hands on her hips. “We should decide on a song tonight.” She announced to her bandmates, as if she didn’t do an impromptu performance just a second ago. 

“It sounds like you already picked one out.” Lotte said with a shy smile.

She squeezed in between the two on the couch. 

“No way, we can’t do that song. It doesn’t fit the theme. And our song choice is always a band decision.” She leaned back and closed her eyes. She smiled thinking about the night she’s had.

“Care to explain where you’ve been all day and why you were singing that song?” Sucy had to know the cause of all this. Despite the uncaring attitude she likes to put on, she cares deeply for Akko and wishes her the best. She also couldn't pass up the opportunity to find more things to tease Akko about.

Akko summarized her day in a few sentences. Everything from the flyers, to seeing Diana, to planning dinner, to Hannah’s driving, to Diana comforting her, to the actual dinner, to Diana taking her home.

“As for the song… I was thinking about how Diana made me feel and I couldn’t describe it. All I know is I like it and that I like her. The song came to me naturally.” Akko grabbed a throw pillow for comfort. She hugged it tight, reminiscing about how it felt to hug the blonde.

“You think she figured it out, Sucy?” Lotte leaned forward to look past the brunette. 

Akko furrowed her eyebrows but didn’t look at anyone in particular. “That Diana likes me back? I’m not that dense.” She put on a smug smile.

Sucy rolled her eyes but she was proud of the brunette. “So when are you going to tell her you like her?” She gave Akko a light smack on the back. 

“I already did.” Akko said in a neutral tone. One of her friends asked what Diana said in response.

“Nothing. She just stood there. In a good way? She was speechless in a good way.” It sounded like the brunette was having a conversation with herself. Her two friends were speechless, they started feeling bad for Akko. Maybe they were wrong about Diana.

Akko noticed the silence so she glanced at her friends and saw their worried faces. “Look, she hugged me right after. Then she totally flirted with me in front of her friends. Speaking of which, they wanna do a group lunch again. I was thinking you guys wouldn’t mind inviting them for dinner every time we have our gig at the café. I can’t believe I forgot to invite them when I was with them for that long...” Her energy was drained so she sounded exhausted.

“How about we decide on our song first.” Akko started rambling so Sucy needed to put a stop to it before she took up all the time they have for their band meeting. They can talk about Diana and her friends some other time.

“I wanna sing this time! Not the lead, but I want singing parts.” Lotte watched Akko get lost in her own performance and she wanted to know how that felt like. 

Akko was not opposed to this. “Like a whole verse or something?” She asked to clarify.

The oranges haired girl shook her head. She held her chin, thinking. “More like, harmonizing.” She snapped her finger at the correct word. 

The purple haired girl nodded in agreement. “I’d like that too.” She's done some harmonizing in the past, and she wasn't opposed to doing more.

Akko hummed a long note. She stood up and faced her bandmates when she thought of something. “Crazy idea. You remember our first song?”

Sucy and Lotte looked at each other. “Never Gonna Give You Up?” They looked back at the brunette to say the song title at the same time. 

Akko chuckled at that. “No, I meant the one for the talent show.” Her hand gestured to try to jog their memory. 

They both figured it out at the same time. Akko nodded at them excitedly. The two looked at each other unsure of how to react. 

Sucy had to be the realist here. “Akko, we _sucked_.” She wasn’t looking at the past with rose-colored glasses. 

Akko was offended. “What are you talking about? We got third place!” For something they practiced for only a few nights, it was pretty good. 

“We had to restart three times, and you messed up the outro.” The purple haired girl reminded her of their blunders. The brunette didn’t have any retorts to that. 

“I’m with Sucy. We can’t have that kind of performance again. We’re professionals now.” Lotte was the softer voice of reason to bring the bullheaded lead singer down. 

Sucy let out an amused snort. “You say that but we don’t really get paid.” 

“Fine. We have somewhat of a reputation to hold up. I know we do this for fun, but we have a following now. We need to keep our fan base, as little as it may be, satisfied.” Lotte didn't want a million fans, she wanted loyal fans who are proud to say they've been fans since their early beginnings.

The purple haired girl had more to say about their growing fan base, but Akko was determined to perform this song. She snapped her fingers to get her friends' attention.

“Hear me out. You know how I told a story before we performed at the last open mic? We can make that our thing. I can tell the story of how we came together as a band, how our first performance was a mess, and how we aim to redeem ourselves.” She counted up the parts of the story with her fingers.

Sucy humored her. “How does it fit the theme then?”

Lotte did the same. “Performing a song we’ve done in the past doesn’t sound like a ‘new beginning’ to me.”

Akko curled her toes. “Trust me. I can sell it as a new beginning.” Her voice trailed off, which did not inspire confidence. There was a silence and the brunette feared that she failed to convince her bandmates. She had a plan in her head but she had trouble explaining it.

The purple haired girl sighed. “Unless you have a better song choice Lotte, I’m okay with this. I wanna prove to my past self that we can do better.” She was also tired and wanting to go to bed.

“It looks like Akko’s heart is set on this song. And we both get what we want. So why not?” Lotte stood up and put her hand out for a huddle. Sucy followed suit. 

Akko beamed at them. “Thanks guys!” She put her hand out and the trio did their band introduction. They raised their hands up into a hooray after they yelled out their band name. 

It was decided. Red Disaster is going to perform _The Longest Time_ by Billy Joel at Café Croix’s next open mic event. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems like a whole lot of nothing happened in this chapter, but I really needed to put all this stuff in to make the first date and the performance perfect. Chapter two is out, I hope ya'll enjoy it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Disaster plan on having matching dresses for their next performance. They go shopping while Diana struggle to find the perfect outfit for her first date with Akko. Their friends are eager for Akko and Diana's relationship to flourish.
> 
> Akko reveals the meaning behind the song choice during her introduction before the band's performance. However, Diana and her friends are running late. Will they make it in time to see the band's introduction, let alone their performance?

The band had been practicing for a solid two hours before taking a break. Surprisingly, they remembered most of what they worked on, even though it’s been four years since they first performed the song. 

“So what should we wear? You think the vests would be nice again?” Akko thought to suggest upgrading to full on three piece suits but she knew both her roommates would need to buy the rest of the parts. It would be unfair of her to suggest it if she was the only one who didn’t need to get anything. 

Sucy shook her head. “People might mistake us for staff.” Their outfits back then would look very similar to the cafe’s uniform. It’s a simple white polo with a waistcoat vest topped with a skinny black tie. 

“How about matching dresses?” Lotte suggested eagerly. For all their previous performances, they have never worn matching dresses before. 

“We’d have to go shopping together for that, but I’m all for it!” Akko said while bouncing up and down on the couch. 

Sucy shrugged. “We’d have to do it today. I’m visiting my parents tomorrow.” She was not against the idea but she wasn’t all too excited for it either. 

Lotte slapped her hands together. “Great! We can go to the mall then have dinner there somewhere.” The clock reads roughly 3 PM. The band needs to take turns taking a shower to get ready to go out. It’ll be an hour, give or take, for them to get to the mall if they act quickly as of right now. This estimate included travel time, potential traffic, and parking.

Lotte loves shopping so she’ll want to try out several dresses at multiple stores. Sucy is picky in a sense that she hates wearing dresses in the first place so good luck trying to find a dress she’d wear. Akko is the easiest to please and will go with whatever the two agree on. 

Akko looked at the time nervously. “Umm, I may have forgotten to mention this, but I have a date at 7.” She reluctantly told her bandmates, thinking they’d get mad at her for telling them so late.

The two shot surprised glances at the brunette. They took turns asking Akko questions. “With Diana? Where? Is she picking you up? What are you gonna wear? What are you guys doing? Do you have plans after? Who asked who out? Is this your first date? Have you kissed yet? Are you gonna?”

Akko felt overwhelmed with the barrage of questions. She didn’t have room to answer any of them since her two friends would ask a new one right after the other. 

“Can you at least answer one of us?” Sucy asked impatiently. Her foot tapping matched her mood. 

The brunette answered with a simple ‘yes.’ The purple haired girl waited for an answer, but after a brief silence she realized that was the only question she was going to answer. 

Sucy threatened to punch the brunette. “You cheeky little shit.” She walked away before she succumbed to the temptation of physical violence. One of them needed to start getting ready.

“Lotte, tell me everything later, okay?” She called out as she disappeared to her room. The orange haired girl replied positively. She looked at Akko and asked her to elaborate about her date.

“It’s with Diana. We’re going to my favorite Japanese restaurant, and she’s picking me up at around 7.” Akko thought there weren’t any more details she could share.

Lotte said nothing for a while. She stared at the brunette with a thinking face. “Can you ask her to pick you up at the mall instead?” She said when Akko started feeling uncomfortable with the silence. 

The brunette was saying nothing but a few uhhs and umms. She didn’t want to trouble Diana. 

“You heard Sucy, she can’t go with us tomorrow. We can’t go during the week because you either have work or we have to practice. We can only go shopping today.” The orange haired girl was firm in her stance. 

Akko is determined not to go. “I’m okay with whatever you two pick. We share the same size so buy a second dress and I’ll pay for it.” She would rather get stuck with a dress she didn’t pick than inconvenience the blonde. 

“Or you can come with us and have Diana pick you up at the mall.” Lotte’s tone didn’t sound like she was giving the brunette a choice. 

But she stayed reluctant. “I don’t want to impose on her.” She pursed her lips. 

Lotte didn’t budge. “How about you ask her first? If she says no then fine, you can stay here.” Akko sighed, but at least Diana will be given a choice.

**Akko** : do u mind picking me up at the Blytonbury Mall instead? it’s ok if it’s too much trouble 

Akko was in the middle of typing the next message to explain why when the blonde replied back.

 **Diana** : My apartment is closer to the mall, so that would be more convenient.

 **Akko** : awesome! i’ll see u then :)

 **Diana** : May I ask why?

 **Akko** : the band needs to go shopping together for our next performance. we can only do it today ‘cause we’re busy the rest of the week

 **Diana** : I never did get an invite to that. To your next performance, I mean. Is that on purpose, perhaps?

 **Akko** : don’t be silly! you, Hannah, and Barbara get to sit with us every week if u wanted to

 **Diana** : Every week?

 **Akko** : yup! the band gets to play first for the open mic every week. i made a deal with Croix

 **Akko** : ur not allowed to pay for the free dinner that comes with it, ok?

 **Akko** : i know what you did last time ;)

“Is that Akko? Say hi for me.” Hannah didn’t even wait for the blonde to answer.

“How did you… No, I will not.” Diana interrupted her own question. She assumed Hannah knew who she was texting by the smile on her face. She placed her phone into the inside pocket of her blazer. 

The auburn haired girl smirked. “You’re no fun. Have you decided what to wear yet?” 

The blonde stayed silent. She pretended to listen to her aunt who was making some elaborate speech about the research she definitely was not involved in but had her name in it. 

Hannah narrowed her eyes. “Diana, you better not go on your date wearing clothes you wear to work.” She was thinking the blonde was going straight to Akko’s place right after this work event. 

Diana kept her eyes on her aunt. “Why not? Akko said my work outfit is pretty.” She didn’t want to talk about the date she was so nervous for. She had no time to think about an outfit. 

The auburn haired girl rolled her eyes. “She’d call anything you wear pretty. That’s not the point.”

The blonde felt that her friend had pertinent information. “What is it then?” She reluctantly glanced at Hannah, hoping her worry wasn’t too obvious. 

Hannah grabbed hold of one of Diana’s sleeves and lifted it up. “You shouldn’t go on a planned date like you were going to work. Do you understand how that would look?” She dramatically let go of the sleeve. 

Diana straightened out the crease on her sleeve. “I see your point. However, most of my wardrobe consists of clothes I wear to work.” Shopping for clothes was something she found no enjoyment in. She only did it out of necessity. 

The auburn haired girl furrowed her eyebrows. “You mean to tell me you don’t have a single casual outfit in there?” Part of her feels like she has failed the blonde as one of her best friends. 

Barbara chimed in before Diana could reply. “Think about it, Hannah. When she goes out with us she always looks professional. Maaaaybe semi-casual.” Not that the blonde had any reply ready, she showed signs of internal panic. Her eyes were wide and bore holes into the ground. She stood still, holding her breath, beads of sweat formed on her forehead. 

Hannah placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “We’re gonna have to come over and work on your outfit.” Diana sighed heavily. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. 

Diana calmly nudged off the hand on her shoulder. “I do not think that is necessary.” She trusted her ability to pick out a better outfit. 

Hannah didn’t believe in her, not even for a second. “You say that now until you see Akko in a cute outfit and you stand next to her looking like you came straight out of work. Don’t come crying to us unless you’re prepared to hear ‘I told you so.’” She walked away from the blonde to leave her with her thoughts. 

Barbara tried to be supportive. “I’m sure you can figure something out.” However, her awkward smile didn’t inspire confidence. She had to leave the blonde alone for a while since there were people in this work event that needed her attention.

Diana wracked her brains about the outfit she was going to wear on her first date with Akko. Every single combination she thought of she knows she has worn to work at one point. She thought about wearing a dress, but the only dresses she owns are ones she wore for work-related functions. All of them were solid and plain colors. 

The blonde searched for her two friends. She found them talking to her aunt. She waited till their conversation was over before she approached them.

Diana stood behind but in between Hannah and Barbara. “Would the two of you mind helping me pick out an outfit after this?” She forced a smile when her aunt made eye contact with her. 

They both beamed delightfully at the request. “We thought you’d never ask.” One of them said. 

Diana is too stubborn and proud for her own good, so when she asks for help it means she really trusts you. 

Daryl approached her niece, forcing Hannah and Barbara to part away from each other. She asked where Diana has been and why this was the first time she’s talked to her since the event started. Diana replied dutifully with no hints of irritation in her voice. She made her rounds talking to investors, keeping them happy and feeling important. 

“I never doubted you for a second, my dear niece. Speaking of our investors, the Hanbridge family invited us for dinner. I already said yes, I’ll have the family driver pick you up at your apartment at 6:30. Do freshen up when you get home. Perhaps you should put on that lovely blue gown you wore that one instance.” Her aunt didn’t really give her a choice, thinking her niece would obey her without question.

Hannah and Barbara shared worried looks at each other. They feared their best friend would bend at this inconsiderate request, if you could call it a request, without challenge. 

Diana cleared her throat before speaking. “I politely decline the invite. I made dinner plans earlier this week. If the Hanbridges would like to have dinner with me in the future, they will need to notify me further in advance. I will find Andrew and explain this to him myself.” Her face showed no doubts, worries, or regrets. She waited for her aunt to reply, who was visibly shocked at her niece’s refusal. 

“Surely whoever you’re having dinner with can’t be as important as the family of one of our top investors.” Daryl’s tone could be described as passive-aggressive, but her displeased face showed much more than that.

Diana raised an eyebrow at the comment. “My mother did not raise me to drop plans at the spur of ‘better’ ones. She raised me to be a respectful woman who keeps her word and cherishes the time others have set out for her.” She knew mentioning her mother would stop her aunt from urging her to cancel her plans. 

Her aunt sized her up, unsure of what to say. It wasn’t the first time Diana stood up for herself, but she rarely did. Most of the time, she would let those passive-aggressive remarks fall on deaf ears. The other times, she would give in to whatever her aunt wanted her to do. Mentioning her mother meant that Diana felt very strongly about the subject. 

Daryl crossed her arms. “Of course. I’m sure the Hanbridges will understand. If you’ll excuse me, I have other investors—.” She also knew when not to push her luck. Angering her niece could result in dire consequences for her.

“Aunt Daryl, I humbly ask that you refrain from accepting invites on my behalf in the future. Please consult me first, I am very busy and have a life outside of work. I see that Andrew is alone at the moment, I shall see to it that he understands why I must decline the invitation.” Diana left her aunt and her two friends in baffled silence. Her comment about work was a surprise to all of them.

Diana was quick and courteous with her explanation to Andrew. He didn’t seem to care whether she was able to make it or not. He didn’t like Diana, but he also didn’t dislike her. The feelings are mutual for the two. 

The rest of the work event played out like how it usually plays out. A lot of schmoozing from everyone involved. Fake smiles all around. It’s a tiresome event for someone like Diana, who doesn’t enjoy socializing with people who only know her name because of her status as a Cavendish. They all expect something of her, and she tries her best to meet their hidden expectations. Anything to give the Cavendish name a good rep.

* * *

It’s been an hour since Akko, Sucy, and Lotte arrived at the mall. They’ve been to a total of three different stores and they were nowhere close to finding a dress they all liked. 

They passed by a tattoo parlor that had bright neon lights at the entrance. It glowed blue and red, the red went around the blue like a snake chasing its tail. 

“Hey Akko, I like the lighting here. Let’s take a picture.” Lotte grabbed the brunette and placed her in front of the lights.

Akko is wearing a white crop top, a black mini skirt that was nowhere near her knees, and a maroon bomber jacket that went past the waistline of her skirt. Her bright red high cut sneakers didn’t match the shade of her jacket, but it made no difference against the neon lighting. Her signature ponytail completed her streetwear-inspired outfit.

Both her hands were in her pockets, but she instinctively put up a peace sign and grinned when the camera was on her. Lotte snapped a few pictures and walked away.

“Uhh. I thought you’d be joining me in the picture.” She said after catching up to the orange haired girl. She was busy with her phone to notice. The brunette tried to take a peek but Sucy distracted her by pointing out a restaurant they should try sometime.

_Lotte has sent an image._

**Lotte** : I had to make an excuse so I made her stand next to this sign. I hope it’s okay ^_^;

 **Barbara** : It’s perfect! Thanks Lotte. We’ll send you a pic when we’re done with Diana

 **Lotte** : That would be great! GL :D

“She is criminally cute. And those legs! It’s actually not fair. How is she still single?” Barbara was talking to her phone which made Hannah rush to her side to see for herself. 

The auburn haired girl nodded in approval. “God I wish I could see how Diana reacts to that.” She imagined the blonde freezing in place with her jaw dropped. 

“We can show her now.” Barbara suggested without a thought. 

Hannah instantly retorted. “No! She has to see the real thing.” She thought it would be a shame if Akko didn’t get to see the blonde’s genuine first reaction to her outfit. This is no time to be selfish. 

Diana exited her bathroom in time to hear the last part of Hannah’s sentence. “See what?” She asked as she made her way over to her friends who were sitting on her bed. Several clothes were scattered on it but they somehow kept it neat. 

“Nothing. Give us a twirl.” With a frown, Diana did as she was told. This has been the third outfit they had her try on. She heavily considered going out the next weekend to go shopping for better clothes. 

“It’s better, but this time you look like you’re a parent going to a parent-teacher meeting.” They picked out a dark green cardigan over a plain white shirt and black pants. 

The blonde arched an eyebrow. “I cannot relate.” Hannah cringed to herself and tried to hide her embarrassment. 

Barbara ignored the faux-pas. “We should match their colors.” She whispered to her auburn haired friend and showed the picture on her phone. 

Hannah pointed at the jacket. “Diana doesn’t own anything of that shade.” The correct term would be color. The blonde didn’t own anything red, except maybe a shade of lipstick that she dare not use. 

“Complement them then?” The black haired girl suggested. 

“We can work with that.” Hannah walked to the blonde’s closet. She found something hidden away in the corner. She wondered how she didn’t see this before. 

She took it out and had an amused grin. “I have never seen you wear this.” She presented the piece of clothing like she was selling it. 

Diana was familiar with it. “I have not participated in an occasion where it is appropriate to wear a jean jacket.” She remembers buying it after a very persistent salesperson saw her looking at it. She bought it to shut him up. 

Barbara took the liberty to wear it herself. “Are you kidding? You could’ve worn this all those times we ask you out on the weekend. Why did you even buy it if you’re not gonna wear it?” She checked herself out in the mirror. 

“I never feel bold enough to wear it.” The blonde didn’t have an excuse. There was no point. 

Hannah urged Barbara to take off the jacket. “God forbid you make a fashion statement. We can definitely use this. Blue has always been your color.” She handed it to the blonde, along with black yoga pants and her white sneakers. She threw in another plain white shirt, but this time it was a v-neck. 

Diana disappeared into the bathroom. Despite knowing each other since they were children, she was still uncomfortable dressing in front of her friends.

“I feel like I’m going to the gym.” She said after she got dressed and showed her friends. She turned around slowly, inspecting her own body at the same time. 

“That’s kind of the point. You’re showing off your… assets that you got from the gym.” The jean jacket barely covered her back but the sleeves were long enough to reach her wrists. Her pants are tight in all the right places. Her shirt was an equally tight fit, and the deep v-cut on the shirt exposed a tasteful amount of cleavage. 

“Excuse me?” Diana felt uncomfortable with the phrasing. There was far too much emphasis on the first syllable of the word ‘assets.’ Hannah wiggling her eyebrows with a sly grin meant that it was done on purpose. 

“I bet she still does yoga every morning.” Barbara made no effort to hide what she was ogling at. 

She wasn’t wrong, and Diana showed her satisfaction at the comment. She realized that this outfit might elicit similar comments or stares from Akko she wouldn’t mind experiencing. 

Barbara took an unsolicited picture of the blonde. “Can we plan your date night outfits in the future? This is so fun.” She remembered her promise to Lotte. 

Diana noticed the camera but didn’t care. She thought her friends were just happy to play dress up. “I take it you two are finally satisfied.” She took one last look at herself in the mirror. Turning from side to side to see how it looked on all angles. 

“Yeah. This outfit says ‘I’m not a stuck up workaholic. I can have fun too.’ Akko will love it.” Hannah didn’t know which reaction she’d like to see more. Akko has only seen Diana’s professional side. She wondered if the brunette was prone to internal panic like Diana is. 

“You really think so? Hair up, or down?” She gathered her hair into a ponytail but didn’t commit to tying it up. 

Hannah circled the blonde. “I know so. Keep it down. Put it up when you’re about to eat and see what happens.” She suspected that the brunette wouldn’t be able to resist a peek if given an opportunity. She hoped Akko was one of those people who liked sitting next to a date more than sitting across them.

“As payment for our services, you have to tell us everything that happens on this date.” Barbara let her demands be known to which Hannah backed her up on.

Diana sighed heavily. Not because of her friends, but because she realized how it was almost time to leave. She felt a nervousness she never felt before. It was uncomfortable, in a good way. It pushed her forward, urging her to get to the source of what’s causing all these feelings. 

**Diana** : How is shopping with the band?

 **Akko** : i think Sucy finally found a dress she’d like to wear more than once

 **Diana** : I can make my way to the mall now. It’ll take five minutes in this current traffic.

Akko wasn’t able to read the last text because Lotte forced her into a booth to try on the dress and snatched her phone away. She texted Diana, pretending to be Akko. 

**Akko** : So sorry, do you mind meeting me up at this shop? Lotte and Sucy started arguing about the dress. Seeing you might make them decide faster.

 **Diana** : Not at all. Which one is it?

Lotte will deal with the repercussions of her deceit later. Right now she’s on a mission. Barbara asked her if she could somehow get a recording of Akko and Diana meeting up for their first date, as per Hannah’s request.

Sucy was in on it too. They had already found a dress they both agreed on in the previous shop. By the time Akko is done trying out this dress and they all make their way back to that shop, Diana should already be there.

Some time has passed and Akko's bandmates were arguing about a dress they've already tried on. The brunette grumbled. She didn’t know why her friends decided to be extra aggravating right before her date. She tried to check the time on her phone but realized it wasn’t in any of her pockets.

“Crap. I think I left my phone in the last store.” She stopped in her tracks to check her pockets again. 

“Akko.” A familiar voice said her name, but it wasn’t either of the two friends she was shopping with. 

Crimson eyes looked up in surprise. “Diana! What are you doing here?” She looked at her from head to toe, smiled brightly, and then went in for a hug. 

The blonde eagerly accepted it. “What do you mean? I came to pick you up.” She placed her chin on the brunette’s clavicle, her voice loud and clear. 

Akko placed her hands on Diana’s hips and took one step back to look at the blonde. “How did you… never mind.” She took another step back, and placed her hands behind her. “You look great!” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I mean, you always do, but I realize I’ve only seen you in your work clothes.” She looked down to her feet. “Wow. We definitely need to do this more often.” She kept her face aimed down but her eyes traveled back up to the blonde. 

Diana’s eyes went wide and her face flushed as red as Akko’s jacket. She almost forgot how to speak. “A-agreed.” A stuttered one worded reply was all she could manage. 

They stood there, not really staring at each other because whenever their eyes met they would dart away in a random direction. There was no telling who was blushing harder. 

Sucy decided she has seen enough. “Are you two going to make it to the restaurant at this point?” The two seemed like they were undressing each other in their minds. 

Diana coughed in her hand in an attempt to regain her composure. “Hello Sucy, Lotte. I apologize for the intrusion.” She was still blushing like mad but her eyes managed to stay away from the brunette. 

The purple haired girl ignored the apology. “Go on and have fun on your date now.” Her hands gestured in a shooing motion. 

Lotte took Akko’s hand to give her what was rightfully hers. “Here Akko, your phone. Sucy and I already agreed on a dress, I’ll buy yours with mine. Pay me back some other time.” The brunette inspected her own phone like it was a foreign object. Her brain had trouble deciphering what was happening. 

The orange haired girl turned to Diana. “Take a picture together at some point. You two look great!” She told the blonde thinking that Akko would forget to take pictures seeing how unresponsive she is right now. 

Sucy and Lotte disappeared into the shop. Diana waited for the confused Akko to get back to reality. 

“Shall we go?” The blonde offered her arm for Akko to hold on to. She absentmindedly held on, still picking up the pieces of her scattered brain. 

The brunette finally had the bright idea to check her phone. “So that’s how you knew. Lotte was messaging you through my phone. They planned all this.” Akko forcefully pulled on Diana’s arm so she could hold her hand instead. The blonde smiled at the needy gesture. 

“We were meeting up no matter what. Did it really matter where?” Diana led them to the parking lot at a relatively fast pace. She didn’t want to rush Akko, but she also didn’t want to take their time. 

Akko sized up Diana for the fifth time. “I’m glad I got to see your outfit here first than in the car, actually.” She didn’t think Miss Prim and Proper owned a jean jacket. 

The blonde didn’t turn her head to look at Akko. “I find that agreeable.” She needed to practice restraint when checking out Akko’s outfit. If her eyes lingered on for too long she found herself fantasizing what she wanted to do.

Akko’s crop top exposed her toned stomach. It’s probably the hardest thing for the blonde to resist. She wanted to run her fingers along the faint lines of muscle. Her imagination didn’t stop there, she wanted to reach around to the small of her back to pull in the brunette closer. Closer for what?

When her eyes traveled below the waistline, all she could focus on were her legs. She wondered if Akko’s legs stayed as warm as her upper body. She could only think of one way to find out. 

Diana doesn’t remember how they ended up at her car, but Akko told her the address and she punched that into her car’s navigation. Now that she was distracted with a task at hand, her mind cleared of thoughts that will be reassessed at a later time. 

“So this place, they know me pretty well. Some of them speak to me in Japanese so they could practice. I’m not trying to show off when I do that, okay?” Akko explained, hoping she didn’t come across arrogant. 

The blonde smiled in amusement. “I wouldn’t categorize speaking in your native language as showing off.” She wondered whether Akko had taken other dates to this restaurant before. Maybe they didn’t appreciate Akko speaking in a different language? She can relate to that, somewhat. She wouldn’t be upset with her, but she’d feel left out. 

The brunette’s face scrunched up in concentration. “Showing off isn’t the right expression… Hmm. You get what I mean, though?” She had trouble putting it into words what she really meant. The curse of a bilingual speaker, sometimes it was easy to say something in one language while the mind goes blank on the other. 

“I believe some people would feel left out if they were in the presence of two people speaking in a language they do not understand.” Diana understands the gist of what the brunette was saying. 

Akko pointed a finger gun at her approvingly. “Exactly! I’m not trying to make you feel left out. It’s rare for these people to find a native speaker so I help out when I can.” It also put a smile on her face when people tried to learn more about her culture. 

The blonde kept her eyes on the road. “Perhaps if you teach me some words, I wouldn’t have to feel that way.” She wasn’t that serious about feeling left out, but she would like learning a little bit of Japanese. 

Diana felt eyes lock on her. “Okay. Here’s one, ‘kirei.’” She can feel Akko staring at her intently.

“What does that mean?” She managed to ask without stuttering. Her voice however, faltered. It was higher pitched than usual. 

The blonde heard Akko grin. Can you hear a grin? It was so quiet in her car since the stereo was off. It was cool enough that the AC didn’t need to be turned on. She probably heard the saliva around her cheeks moving when her lips parted to form a grin. Nevertheless, she knew this grin was not innocent. It was dripping with intent, but what was it?

“Pretty.” Akko said simply. It sounded like a whisper.

The brunette was waiting for the blush to creep up on Diana's cheeks. Crimson eyes fixated on the slightest movements on the blonde’s face. The way her eyelashes fluttered when she blinked slowly and deliberately. Her jaw strained to clench on nothing. She bit on her lower lip, and blue eyes took a peek to the side for a millisecond. Blue met red and Diana knew that meant Akko had seen it all. 

There was no fighting that blush away. The blonde only knew one way to save face. 

“Does ‘Akko’ mean cute?” It was low effort, but it at least forced the brunette to look away. Diana felt like she could breathe again. 

Akko pouted in her seat. She muttered the right Japanese word for ‘cute’ and turned her face to the window. She tried so hard to make the blonde blush and all Diana had to do was say one sentence to turn her into a blushing mess. 

The blonde didn’t see the mini tantrum in her passenger seat. “I wish Scots was a prettier language.” One could argue that Modern Scots is simply a dialect of the English language but that’s not something Diana was going to get into. 

“You’re Scottish?” Akko felt dumbfounded. Diana did not sound like it at all. 

“Y-yes.” The blonde’s grip on the wheel tightened. 

The brunette saw Diana’s whole body stiffen. “Are you embarrassed by that?” Her head slanted to the side to see Diana’s whole face. 

Diana breathed in deep. “The other children in the English boarding school I went to didn’t appreciate my accent.” She held her breath, anxious of what Akko would say. 

Akko blinked several times. “Am I missing something? You sound English, as in, from England, like Hannah and Barbara. They’re not Scottish, are they?” Her pitch kept going high then low then high again. There was a lot to know about Diana and her friends that the brunette has yet to find out.

The blonde sighed, but not in relief. She held her breath for too long. “They _are_ English. I’ve suppressed my Scottish accent at an early age.” She explained in a cold tone. Taunts from the past didn’t sting her anymore, but it did make her feel bitter. 

Akko fiddled with the zipper on her jacket. “That’s… sad. You don’t have to do that with me, if you’re more comfortable with that, I mean.” Her tone was gentle and comforting. 

Diana didn’t need it, but she appreciated it all the same. “My internal monologue sounds like what you hear now. In other words, this accent is what comes to me naturally. Do you think in Japanese or English?” It is said that the language you think in shapes how you see the world. 

Akko thought about it for a second. “Both. Mostly English now, since I haven’t been home in a while. There are some thoughts that come naturally in Japanese though.” There was too much to explain so she left it at that. 

“I still wouldn’t mind hearing your Scottish accent.” She added before Diana could make a comment on her answer. 

The blonde strained a smile. “That one only makes an appearance in times of extreme stress. I cannot force it.” It really did make her feel embarrassed. 

Akko hummed a sad tone. “Never mind then. I wouldn’t want to stress you out.” 

Diana thought she had a reply ready. “You would have trouble doing that. I find your presence to be…”

Calming? No. Her heart beats much faster around Akko. Her mind races thinking about all the things she wants to do—with Akko. With, not to. Sometimes ‘to’, but that’s something she shouldn’t be thinking about right now.

Akko smirked as she waited for the blonde to finish her sentence. Her eyebrow arched in anticipation. “To be?” She asked in an effort to get an answer faster. 

The blonde pushed her thoughts away. “We are here.” She announced unceremoniously. 

The brunette’s face turned blank. She knew Diana was going to avoid the topic now. She didn’t voice her disappointment because they can finally have their first date. 

“I wonder if we have to wait.” It’s prime dinner time so the place might be packed. They entered the restaurant and saw some people waiting in the lobby. 

The hostess recognized her immediately. “Akko! It’s been a while.” She spoke to her in Japanese.

Akko replied in the same language. “Long time no see! Table for two, please.” She grinned and put up a peace sign. 

The hostess switched to English. “There is a wait time if you want to be seated at a table, but there are two seats available at the bar if you want to be seated immediately.” She didn’t want to risk explaining it wrong in Japanese. 

Akko turned to Diana to ask if the bar was okay. She smiled and nodded in response. 

A waiter led them the way to their seats. He exchanged some words and Diana could’ve sworn she heard one of the words Akko taught her earlier. The brunette was smiling smugly after the waiter’s comment. 

They sat down and the waiter handed them menus. Diana watched him walk away and when her eyes drifted back to the girl sitting beside her, Akko was staring at her. 

“He said you’re pretty.” She wagged her eyebrows. The same smug smile was still on her face. 

Turns out the blonde did hear it right. “I hope he knows I am on a date.” She thought that maybe Akko anticipated the waiter saying something like that. 

“Oh yeah. It’s the first thing he asked about us.” It’s the reason why Akko looked so proud in the first place. It’s not often that she brings such a stunning girl on a date to her favorite restaurant. 

Blue eyes searched the menu for something she might like. Her trick to order a salad and be happy with it isn’t going to work this time. “What do you usually order?” She looked up from the menu to ask. Akko had been staring at her, she smiled at the question. 

“It depends. I love their ramen, the broth they use is perfect. If Yamada-san is here today, he’ll feed us nigiri all night. The donburi’s serving size is a little small, but if you order a sushi roll with it, it’ll fill you up.” Akko stopped herself from saying more, in case Diana was getting overwhelmed.

The blonde had a lot of questions, but didn’t know where to start. She turned to the back of the menu to see the different kinds of sushi rolls they could order. 

Akko finally laid her eyes on her own menu. “Have you tried eel?” She asked while looking at the donburi. The unadon is one of her favorites since childhood, and this restaurant across the world made it strikingly similar to the way her grandfather used to make it. 

“My only experience with that type of fish is in jellied eels.” She doesn’t remember disliking it, but she had no strong emotions for or against it. 

The brunette looked at her with bewilderment. “What is that?” She imagined eels in jelly form, like candy. Diana explained and Akko thought she’d like to try that out someday. They both chuckled when the brunette explained that she thought it was candy. 

The waiter dropped by to hand them a cup of edamame and glasses of water. He asked if they were ready to order yet but Akko told him to give them another minute.

“I asked because they serve something that my grandfather used to make. Other places have it too, but this one takes me back to my childhood after one bite.” Akko flipped her menu to look for sushi rolls to go with it. She was planning on sharing everything with Diana.

The blonde picked out two rolls she’s tried in the past but from a different restaurant. She wanted to see if there was any difference. Akko boasted that this place served the most authentic Japanese food in the city. 

After the waiter took their order, Diana thought it was too warm in the restaurant. She took off her jean jacket and hung it on her chair. She thought this was also the perfect time to put her hair up.

In the middle of tying her hair, her eyes peeked at the brunette beside her. Crimson eyes were staring at her, but not at her face. Akko didn’t notice she got caught until Diana started smirking. 

Akko’s face turned a similar shade as her jacket. She gulped down her water and started fanning herself. “It sure is hot in here.” Maybe if she pretended she wasn’t staring, Diana won’t say anything.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” The blonde’s smirk turned into a smug grin. She wondered how Hannah knew something like this would happen. 

The brunette screamed internally. She started eating the edamame as a distraction to her own thoughts. 

“Akko! I thought I recognized you. How have you been?” The sushi chef greeted the brunette across the counter in their native language. Diana watched how lively their conversation went. Everyone who worked in this restaurant seemed to be good friends with Akko.

Akko nudged Diana with her elbow. “He’s asking what’s your favorite type of fish.” The blonde promptly responded ‘salmon.’

In a flash, a plate of two salmon nigiri appeared on the counter before her. “On the house.” The sushi chef said in a thick accent, grinning from ear to ear.

The blonde was about to protest, but Akko placed a hand on her arm. Her other hand reached for the plate. She whispered to her how to say thank you in Japanese. 

The sushi chef loved to hear it. He offered her another plate of nigiri, this time it was tuna. Akko sounded like she was upset with him this time. Diana heard the word ‘kirei’ again. The chef had an order to fill so he excused himself. 

Akko shook her head. “He said the first one’s free because you’re with me. The second one is because you’re pretty.” She rolled her eyes but her smile could only be interpreted as amused.

Diana convinced herself that Akko brought her here so that all her flirting could be done by the staff. She was oddly impressed by it, but she needed to flirt back. “Are you sure the first one isn’t because you’re cute?” 

The brunette didn’t get affected this time. “I didn’t want to brag.” She shrugged and ate another piece of edamame. 

Diana picked up her chopsticks. “Are they really free?” She pointed at the nigiri with the sticks. 

“More like, heavily discounted.” Akko made a face that seemed like she didn’t believe her own statement.

The blonde placed her chopsticks down. “Is there a reason why they are heavily discounted?” She wondered if Yamada is a relative of sorts.

“I kind of saved this place from closing?” It sounded like she was questioning herself. 

Akko found this place when it shared half the building with another restaurant. They were on the brink of going out of business because they had trouble retaining employees. The brunette herself worked here for a time, but one person wasn’t enough to solve their problem. 

She figured out a solution. She found the Japanese class at her university and asked the professor if she could advertise the restaurant. Not only did she find new employees, she gave the business more customers. Her glowing review of the restaurant boosted its reputation. 

Yamada, the owner, and one of the sushi chefs of the restaurant, felt indebted to her. If he’s working when Akko comes around, the workers know to cut her bill in half because Yamada will cover the other half. He’d even pay for the whole thing if she came alone. 

“I kept fighting him about paying for my food until he got upset and said it’s either I let him do that or I’m banned from the restaurant. He’s very stubborn.” Akko looked very embarrassed admitting all of this. She just wanted her favorite restaurant to remain open. She didn’t want any special treatment. 

The waiter arrived with Akko’s unadon and bowls of miso soup. “He threatened to fire me on the spot when he saw me accept a tip from her.” He said it in a light hearted tone. He said that the soup was also on the house before walking away.

Diana watched him walk away with a worried look. “He’s kidding. I think? I’m sure he would’ve hired him back.” Akko tried to make her worry less but it only made it worse. 

“You seem to be popular among restaurant owners.” First Croix, now Yamada. Diana wondered what Akko’s relationship was like with Jasminka. 

“Croix’s different, I got the dinner deal because I’ll be doing a lot of advertising for her. Ooh, I should get a flyer out here.” Akko pulled her phone out to put up a reminder for herself. 

The blonde remembered Lotte’s words from earlier. “We should take a photo.” She said nonchalantly. Akko suggested using Diana’s phone because she owned the newest model which means it has the better camera. 

Diana realized that she does not take selfies. It was always Hannah or Barbara taking their group photos whenever they’re out. She struggled holding her phone up and hitting the right button to take the picture. How do they do this so effortlessly?

Akko took matters into her own hands. She grabbed the phone and leaned in close to the blonde. She snapped a photo and inspected it. 

“Is this phone new?” She asked when she noticed something odd.

“I bought it a few months ago.” Hannah swore by the facial recognition on the phone and the blonde thought that was an excellent feature. 

The background wallpaper was the default one that came with the phone. What truly puzzled the brunette was the image gallery. “This is the first picture you’ve taken on this phone.” She handed it back, feeling shy all of a sudden.

“You should be honored.” Diana didn’t find anything interesting enough to warrant a photo of it. She finally felt comfortable enough to eat the free food. She drank the miso soup in one go, then ate one of the salmon nigiri in one bite. 

Her blue eyes lit up in satisfaction. “That is… wonderful. The rice is amazing. I didn’t think it made that much a difference.” The nigiri she’s had in the past had the tendency to fall apart whenever she picked it up with her chopsticks. This one didn’t have that issue, and the rice’s taste has the perfect mix of sour, sweet, and saltiness. 

She eagerly ate the tuna this time. She had the same reaction. Akko watched her enjoy the food, completely forgetting about her own until the blonde looked her in the eye and pointed at her soup that’s growing cold. 

“So what brought you out to Blytonbury?” Diana restrained herself from eating the rest of the nigiri. She shoved the plates towards Akko so she wouldn’t give in to temptation. 

“This is going to sound really bad, but I wanted to get away from my parents.” She ate the tuna first. Diana waited for her to continue, she withheld any judgments for now. 

“After the car accident, they got overprotective. They wouldn’t let me out the house unless I text them literally every hour. If I miss one, they come running to get me.” She shoved the salmon back to Diana, knowing it’s her favorite. 

The blonde pondered the situation. “How did you convince them to allow you to move out here by yourself?” She ate the last nigiri knowing they’d be playing the ‘no, I insist’ game all night otherwise.

“I didn’t ask for permission. I told them my plan and they said they wouldn’t give me any money. I worked part time during high school so I could save up for the plane ticket. Getting into Luna Nova was a problem at first, but there were a lot of scholarships for foreigners.” She took a bite of her unadon and she sat still to relish the flavor. 

“Try this.” Akko tapped the edge of the bowl with her chopsticks. Diana tried to refuse, but the brunette’s lips formed a pout and her crimson eyes were framed with furrowed eyebrows. Her crimson eyes were the complete opposite of threatening.

The blonde ate a piece of the eel and then some of the rice. It was a blast of sweet and earthy taste. It made sense that this was Akko’s favorite, her personality matched the taste. 

“Gotta thank Barbara for that one.” The brunette muttered to herself as she took another bite of her food. She expected to force feed Diana by bringing food up to her mouth, but she relented so quickly after seeing Akko's puppy dog eyes.

“Do you resent your parents?” As soon as Diana finished her sentence, she realized she could have worded that better.

Akko was in the middle of eating when she heard that. She rushed to swallow her food. “Gosh, no! I mean, maybe when I was younger. I worked my ass off to get away from them. It was a huge motivation.” Their sushi rolls appeared on the counter before them. The chef gave them an ok sign. The brunette thanked him with a grin, she dutifully placed Diana’s order in front of her and her own order in between them. 

“If anything, they hated _me_ for leaving them. I promised them video calls every month. They tried to convince me to come home every time we had them. After a year or so, they started saying how it was nice to see me happy again.” Her sushi had avocado, cucumber, imitation crab, topped with either tuna, salmon, or yellowtail. She placed one of the salmon on the empty plate in front of Diana.

The blonde thanked her with only her eyes. She ate the whole thing and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, suppressing a moan. This is the best sushi she’s ever had. Akko loved the food here, but she didn’t know she would love watching someone else eat it.

Diana took a piece from one of her rolls. This one had avocado, spicy tuna, albacore, red onions, and a sauce she wasn’t familiar with. The other had salmon, cream cheese, avocado, and cucumber. “We are going to need multiple trips here so that I may try everything on the menu.” Every bite she’s had has been a taste of heaven.

“I wouldn’t mind that at all.” Akko ate her food quickly, so that she could watch Diana enjoy her food. 

After eating in silence for a bit, the blonde started feeling full. She slowed down her assault on the sushi. “Do you ever plan on returning to Japan?” She asked quietly, as if she didn’t want to ask the question in the first place. 

Red eyes gleamed with mystery. She didn’t answer right away. “To visit, maybe. I don’t think I can live there anymore. There’s nothing for me there. All of my friends are here.” Her stare grew in intensity. ‘You’re here.’ She said in her mind. She hoped Diana could read minds. 

They sat there staring into each other’s eyes. Wordlessly, they exchanged their thoughts and feelings. It didn’t need to be said that they wanted something long term. Something meaningful. 

It was Diana who broke eye contact first. “Do tell me when you plan to visit. I have taken an interest in Japanese culture.” She tried to remain stoic but her smile betrayed her. 

The implication was not lost on the brunette. “I’ll be your tour guide!” Akko nudged her thigh into Diana’s. It made the blonde’s heart skip a beat. She playfully nudged her back.

“What about you? Why are you here instead of Scotland?” The brunette had enough of talking about herself. She finished her food already, but Diana gave her some of her sushi. 

The blonde looked straight ahead. “I feel the same way as you.” In more ways than one. She stared back into the red pool that pulled her in. “Scotland has no one waiting for me there.” She was never close to her cousins. They could have Cavendish Manor for all she cares, even though it was under Diana’s name.

Akko knew not to ask, but curiosity got the better of her. “Parents?” Something in the air made it clear to her that it was a sensitive topic. Maybe it was because of how Diana asked about her parents.

“My father passed away when I was too young to remember him. My mother followed him a few years later.” Diana looked down to what’s left of her sushi rolls. There were three pieces left. She gave the extra one away.

“I feel awful for saying what I said now.” Akko turned away, her shoulders slumped. “I still have a home to come home to. I just choose not to.” Her hands that are on her lap clenched into fists.

Diana placed a hand on one of the fists. “You made a home for yourself here. I do not blame you for wanting to keep it. I’m sure your parents understand.” The brunette flattened her hands out as her worries melted away. 

The blonde realized how close she was to touching Akko’s thighs. Her hand flinched, and she pulled back awkwardly. A part of her wanted to place it back but her mind stopped her before she got close. Curious red eyes watched the whole ordeal. 

The brunette's lips curved into a smirk. “I would say buy me dinner first, but that’s why we’re here.” Akko doesn’t mind physical contact, she’s an affectionate person in general.

Diana on the other hand, is touch starved. Sure, she gives the occasional hug that is expected of her from her friends. But it’s not something she craves from other people. Not until Akko entered her life. 

Whenever the brunette touched her, she only wanted more. A handshake wasn’t enough, so she held her hand the next chance she got. A hug that lasted a second wasn’t enough, so she held on for longer for the next one. A kiss on the cheek wasn’t enough so…

The blonde rushed to finish her food. Either she didn’t hear Akko’s last comment or she completely forgot about it. 

Akko didn’t know what to make of her. “Someone’s eager.” She said with a small blush on her face. 

“Pardon?” Diana asked while wiping her mouth. She noticed the blush on the brunette’s face and wondered what was happening. 

“N-nothing. Did you not hear… never mind. Do you want dessert?” Changing the subject might make the blush go away. 

“I am not against it but I am unsure about finishing it.” There was little room left in her stomach, and Diana wasn't big on dessert in the first place.

Akko said they can share the mochi ice cream with ease. They had the matcha green tea flavor and Diana didn’t know the genius that is green tea in ice cream form. She had no trouble finishing her portion.

The blonde was getting cold so she released her hair from the ponytail. She fluffed her hair a bit and draped it behind her shoulders. 

The brunette had a playful grin on her face. She placed the mochi beside Diana’s hair. “You matcha.” She couldn’t stop herself from laughing at her own awful pun. Diana rolled her eyes but she smiled so silly at Akko’s joke. 

Yamada boxed up some nigiri for them to take home. “Please come again. With or without Akko!” He said to Diana with the biggest grin. She looked at him, then the box, then at Akko. 

Akko complained to him in Japanese. She tried to take the box but Yamada pulled it away from her. “For the pretty lady.” Diana sheepishly accepted it. Yamada had another box for Akko. She complained again but as always, Yamada will not take no for an answer.

Diana did not forget to put a heavy tip when paying for the bill. The waiter asked if she had made a mistake, but she shook her head. He thanked her profusely but there was no mistaking the worry riddled on his face.

“Can you make sure Yamada does not fire that man?” She whispered to Akko and her face screamed ‘What did you do?’ She called for the sushi chef’s attention and had the conversation in Japanese. Yamada looked unhappy at first but they came to an understanding.

“What is your name?” He squinted at the blonde. Diana was unsure whether it was a curious look or an angry one. She answered curtly.

“Diana. Please come back with Akko. I let you pay next time.” He said and bellied out a laugh.

The two girls laughed with him. “What did you tell him?” The blonde asked after he got busy with something else. “I told him you’re rich.” Akko said without shame.

Diana didn’t know how to respond to that. She wanted to be offended but she couldn’t help but smile. She shook her head and stood up. The waiter thanked her again and bid the two goodbye. The hostess offered them mints before they left. The blonde noted that she winked at her date when they both popped the mints into their mouths. 

Once they were out of the restaurant, Akko had something to cheeky say. “I bet you’re rich enough that you could have thrown money at this restaurant to save it.” She hung onto Diana’s arm, it was bare since the blonde didn’t bother putting the jean jacket back on.

“I believe that it is much more impressive that you managed to save it with your resourcefulness.” She didn’t deny it. The wealth of her family is well known. Not to mention the wage that she earned reached triple digits. 

Akko stopped in her tracks. Doubt rooted itself in her mind yet again. “Hey Diana, I… Why… what are we doing?” She looked at her feet. Her hands were clenched inside the pockets of her jacket. 

Diana looked at her curiously. “Walking back to my car?” She answered, unsure of whether that was the kind of answer the brunette was looking for. 

“I mean… This date. What did it mean to you?” The confidence she had all night was gone without a trace. She knew Diana liked her, but she didn’t know why. She didn’t understand how someone so smart and beautiful could like someone like her. Think highly of her. Compliment her every chance she gets. Akko feared this was too good to be true.

“I had a wonderful time. I was not lying when I said I would like to go here again.” She came closer to the brunette, but those red eyes refused to meet her. “With you.” She added and brought Akko’s chin up using two fingers, forcing the brunette to see her serious expression. 

The moon shone bright above them. Akko held her breath at the sight before her. Intense blue eyes were filled with desire. She suddenly felt hyper aware of how dry her lips were. She licked at them instinctively.

Diana thought to ask if she could kiss her, but the tongue that swiped the brunette’s lips said all that was needed to be said. She leaned down and closed her eyes. Their lips locked onto each other for a second, maybe two. The blonde pulled back and slowly opened her eyes. She saw crimson eyes staring back and felt a faint warm breath brush against her lips. Her blue eyes drifted down to supple lips, the lower lip twitched into a slight pout, begging the blonde for more.

Akko wrapped her arms around Diana’s neck, pulling her closer so that she didn’t need to tiptoe as high. Diana touched hot flesh when she placed her hands on Akko’s waist, her thumbs shook as she resisted the urge to run it up and down the brunette’s stomach. Her fingers ran through the same trouble while it rested on the small of Akko’s back. 

Their lips crashed into each other this time. They were both hungry for more. The wind blew and the blonde shuddered. Akko’s lips formed into a smile, but that didn’t stop either of them from their relentless assault of kisses. 

The brunette stopped their shared activity with a hand over her own mouth. She was still smiling. “Diana, you’re shivering.” She eyed the blonde up and down, her arms had goosebumps all over. Her jean jacket ended up on the ground at one point. Diana was carrying it until her hands had better places to be.

Diana wrapped her arms around herself. She watched the Akko pick up her jacket and dust it off. Her finger made a circular motion, telling the blonde to turn around. She obliged, but to her surprise, Akko wrapped her bomber jacket around her instead. 

“I kept it warm for ya.” She smacked the blonde’s back, pushing her forward. She put on the blonde’s jacket instead. “Can’t have the pretty lady wear something that touched the ground.” She said in a playful tone.

Akko decided that it no longer matters why Diana likes her. After all, why ruin a good thing? They both liked each other. They plan to see more of each other. Those kisses didn't need an explanation. She thought worrying about the details was silly after all that.

The blonde shamelessly breathed in deep to take in Akko’s smell from the jacket. She associated her smell with warmth, like a freshly laundered blanket that just came out of the drier. It didn’t take long for her to warm up again. It helped that her blush went all the way up to her ears. 

They made it back to Diana’s car without a word. Once inside, they realized they forgot to bring the boxes with them. They both laughed and agreed it was okay since it was free food anyway.

“Shall I take you home now?” The blonde asked, unsure if that was even something she want answered.

Akko raised an eyebrow at the question. “Do you have any better ideas?” Her smile could not be misconstrued for anything else other than flirty.

Diana’s lips formed a frown. “I unfortunately have an early start tomorrow.” To keep the peace with her aunt, she promised breakfast with some other top investor’s family, but it’s a long drive to their estate so she has to leave early. 

The brunette turned her whole body to face Diana. Her legs folded up in a way so that her feet dangled off the car seat. “Oh, so you do have better ideas.” Her eyebrows arched as high as they could go. 

Diana stayed silent, feigning concentration on driving her vehicle. “Wanna tell me one of them?” The brunette kept an eye out for any kind of reaction. She loved it when the blonde pretended she’s unaffected by her forwardness. 

“Akko.” She said her name like it was the beginning of a sentence.

“Diana.” She replied in the same tone.

The blonde’s bottom lip twitched at the sound. She cursed in her mind, wondering when it’ll be till she stops reacting to how Akko says her name.

“I am very fond of you.” Her tone didn’t support her statement. It sounded neutral, like how you would say ‘I’m going grocery shopping’ to a friend. 

Akko muttered an extended ‘okay.’ Hinting that she’s listening and that the blonde can continue. For a moment she worried this is the time Diana finally realized that Akko was not good enough for her. 

“I hope that you stop doubting that. It worries me when you lose the confidence I easily fell for.” Diana felt smug at her use of the word ‘fell.’ It could be interpreted in two ways. One meant love and the other fooled. She smirked at the double meaning. Her tone was gentle this time.

Akko felt her heart leap out of her chest. She shifted in her seat to sit properly. “In that case, I hope you make it to the band’s next performance.” She said quietly. She didn’t say anything after that, but she extended her hand with the palm up towards the blonde. 

“I wouldn’t dare miss it.” Diana intertwined their fingers and rested their hands on Akko’s lap. 

“How is your hand this cold?!” The brunette rubbed the top of Diana’s hand in an attempt to warm it up faster. 

“There is a reason why Hannah and Barbara call me ice queen.” The blonde chimed in a whimsical tone. 

Akko grinned mischievously. “Is it because of your warm and friendly attitude?” She said in an exaggerated upbeat tone. 

Diana glanced at her with her classic glare. She snatched her hand away from the brunette’s grasp. 

She instantly whined. “Nooooo. Come back!” Her hands playfully reached for the blonde’s hand. Diana swatted them away with the back of her hand.

Akko activated her puppy dog eyes and pouted. Diana could feel the weight of it without looking. She knew the risk of taking a glance but she did it anyway. She fixed her eyes back on the road but her mind kept going back to the brunette’s sad face. She knew she was acting but Diana can’t handle seeing Akko in a state where her bright and shining personality didn’t foster. 

The blonde returned her hand. She winced at how easily she gave in. Anything to bring that smile back that warmed her all the way up to the deepest depths of her heart. 

The brunette planted a soft kiss on top of Diana’s hand as a thankyou. “I hope you know you’re dating a college dropout.” Akko admitted suddenly. She’s usually not the one to bring this kind of conversation up, but if Diana is going to be serious with her, she needs to know. 

“A hardworking resourceful dropout.” Diana added. She squeezed her hand to let her know it wasn’t a problem. She wondered why she stopped her higher education, but that was a question she was willing to ask some other time. She felt the need to share something about herself. “Lucky for you, you are dating a workaholic.” She pursed her lips in anticipation of Akko's reply. 

“You don’t get to pay for anything on our next date.” Akko used to joke about becoming a sugar baby when she was still taking classes. She didn’t think her dream that wasn’t really her dream would come true. Despite that, she didn’t want to think of Diana as a moneybag. 

The blonde perked up in her seat. “May I know when and where that would be?”

“My schedule is up in the air at the moment. I’ll let you know when, but the where is a secret. I’ve got it all planned in my head already. You can’t put a price on it.” Akko explained enthusiastically. She planned to take her on a camping trip where they sleep under the stars. Play her a song only she gets to hear. Spend a whole weekend with just the two of them. 

Akko realized that her plan was far too romantic for a second date. She thinks she’s getting too ahead of herself. She already talked it up so she can’t back down now. 

‘Whatever. I’ll just make her my girlfriend before then.’ She thought confidently. There was no stopping her once her mind was set on something. 

Diana typically hated plans where she didn’t know exactly what was going on. “I am looking forward to it.” She had no trouble putting her trust in Akko though. Everything about her was a surprise and a treat.

The blonde didn’t know why she was worried that Akko would figure out she was a workaholic. She admitted it and the brunette was completely unfazed by it.

It didn't take that much longer to get back to Akko's apartment. “May I see you up?” Diana asked after parking the car. She wanted to spend as much time with Akko as she could. The brunette smiled shyly and gave a nod for a reply. 

Akko’s apartment is on the second floor. She usually took the stairs but since she was with Diana, they took the elevator up. They held hands in silence the entire time.

“This is me.” She pointed at the door with her thumb. “Wanna come in?” She suggested with a grin. She knew her roommates would be home by now but she suspected the blonde would decline anyway. 

Diana frowned so hard it looked like a pout. “I would love to but—.” 

“Gotta be up early tomorrow, I know. Can’t blame a girl for trying, right?” Akko winked before she spun around to face the door. Her hand fished out keys from one of her pockets.

“Not at all.” The blonde reached for the hand that held the keys. She stopped it before it got put inside the lock. She stole a kiss from Akko before she could react to anything else. 

“Good night, Akko.” Pleased with herself, Diana walked away. 

Akko was grinning from ear to ear for several reasons. “You’re still wearing my jacket.” The blonde forgetting that fact was only one of them. 

Diana flinched and awkwardly turned around to walk back. She was in the middle of taking it off when Akko stopped her.

“Actually, maybe you should keep it for now. Give it back at the open mic.” Akko knew she was going no matter what, but she wanted to give her another incentive to go. 

The blonde was unsure whether she should take the other sleeve off or put the sleeve she just took off back on.

The brunette gave her one more reason to keep it. “Besides, I know how much you like smelling it.” She noticed the first time Diana took a big whiff of the inside of the jacket. The subsequent times were in the car when the blonde thought she wasn’t looking. 

Diana put it back on but she avoided the red gaze before her. “I… I’m going now. Good night, Akko.” This time her exit didn’t make her feel smooth.

“Good night, Diana.” Akko’s tone teased the blonde further. She knew what the blonde was trying to do and she threw a wrench at it. Diana's step hitched at the sound of her name, she shook her head but kept walking. She only dared to look back when the elevator door opened. The brunette lied in wait. She blew the blonde a kiss when they made eye contact. Diana rushed inside the elevator, feeling her face heat up yet again. Akko giggled as she opened the door to her apartment.

* * *

It was finally performance night, and Red Disaster is waiting at their dinner table for Croix to get on stage so that she could start the event and introduce them. Their table is directly in front of the stage, Croix had forgotten about her deal with Akko until the band came rolling through. Since they would have guests coming, Akko wanted a table a bit farther from the stage so that they could converse with them without having to talk over the other performers. Hopefully it wouldn't be a problem later.

Meanwhile, Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were running late. Something happened in the lab that made them stay twenty minutes longer. It takes ten minutes to drive to the café from the hospital for the average person. For someone like Hannah though, it would only take five minutes. 

“I’m sure it doesn’t start at exactly 6:30.” Barbara tried to remain positive. 

“I don’t know about that. The band was already on stage when we were five minutes late last time.” Hannah on the other hand, was pessimistic. 

Diana mashed the button on the elevator that takes them to the parking garage. She was quiet, but it was obvious to anyone that she was in a hurry. 

The auburn haired girl touched her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll get us there in time.” She promised her best friend.

“For once, I want you to drive as fast you can.” The blonde said coldly. She stared straight ahead, waiting for the elevator doors to open. 

Fast forward to 6:30 at Café Croix. The lilac haired woman had just introduced the band, and the three girls from the hospital are nowhere to be seen.

“Sorry, that was bad. I’ll get Chariot to do this next time.” The café owner muttered to the band before they took center stage. She announced the start of the event like she would announce a test was about to begin. She introduced the band unenthusiastically. She had nothing prepared for the introductions, thinking it was simple enough to say the performers’ names. 

“No worries. I’ll warm them up.” Akko gave her a thumbs up and a confident grin. 

The trio lined up next to each other at center stage. The brunette naturally took the middle spot, while Sucy was on her right and Lotte was on her left. They wore matching black satin dresses that flowed down to their ankles. It had a slit high above their left knee, revealing some skin when they stand a certain way. Black stilettos perfected the snazzy look. 

Sucy and Akko had their hair up in a high bun wrapped around with a bright red ribbon. Lotte’s hair was too short, but she wore the same red ribbon on her head instead of her usual headband. 

Lotte really wanted to wear red dresses to pay tribute to classic doo-wop girls who wore matching bright and shiny dresses. Red was the only color that made sense for their band. Sucy argued that the only one who looked good in it was Akko and that wasn’t fair. To add a bit of color to their outfits, Akko suggested the ribbons. 

Akko looked at their table and was disappointed to see no one else sitting there. She didn’t have time to wonder where Diana and her friends were. She adjusted the mic stand to match the height of the band. 

“Hello everyone! We’re so grateful for the great reception we received from the first open mic event. It got so much attention that Croix is able to make it a weekly thing. Thanks to your support, performers like us have a place to share our passions every week.” Her voice was a burst of energy. It was a stark contrast to the plain and dutiful tone the owner used when introducing the band. Her cheerful tone perked the interests of the audience. 

“Tonight, we are performing the song _The Longest Time_ by Billy Joel. Our band performed this song many years ago at a talent show in Luna Nova University. We weren’t really a band back then, we were just three people wanting to participate in a talent show.” The mention of a classic song caught the attention of some patrons who weren’t interested in the event. 

“We would practice late in night singing our hearts out in our dorm room until the RA told us to be quiet and go to sleep. When we finally got on stage, we messed up the intro multiple times. When we got it right, I sang another verse instead of the chorus when the song was supposed to end.” Akko smiled nervously, which endeared the crowd to be sympathetic to her. 

Her smile turned confident. “It didn’t matter that I made a mistake. My bandmates backed me up and sang the correct harmonies without missing a beat. It was so seamless, if you didn’t know how the song went, you would have thought it was part of the song.” Her bandmates stood by her side and watched her with pride as she told the story of their humble beginning. 

“After the performance, I of course, begged for their forgiveness. They told me it was fine so long as I do better next time. At that moment, our band was born. We all agreed that despite our shortcomings, we had a lot of fun on stage. We wanted to nourish the bonds we created during our practice sessions. We didn’t want our time together to end.” Crimson eyes were able to see the approving looks of the audience. Now that she had the attention of most of the patrons in the restaurant, it was time to wrap the introduction up. 

“So why are we performing our first song in an event with the theme ‘New Beginnings?’ Back then, the band got together as an excuse not to study for our exams. Today? The band performs because we want to show anyone we can the love and trust we have for each other. We want to share with you the songs and stories that shaped the people we are today. _The Longest Time_ is a special song for us not only because it was our first, but it also perfectly captures the feelings we have about performing together.”

Akko didn’t tell the band what she had planned to say for their intro. Sucy and Lotte trusted her wholeheartedly. The brunette checked on her bandmates to see their reactions. Lotte was slightly blushing and smiled shyly at her. She hooked her arm around Akko’s to form a link. Sucy avoided looking at her directly but her face betrayed her. It was clear that she was impressed. Akko nudged her arm on the purple haired girl and she reluctantly linked her arm to the brunette. . 

“This weekly open mic event is our new beginning. We’ve never had a place invite us to perform more than once. For that, we thank Croix for the opportunity, and you, the audience, who made this happen. My name is Atsuko Kagari, but you can call me Akko!” She leaned back so that her two bandmates could introduce themselves. 

“I’m Lotte Jansson!” She unhooked her arm from Akko. 

The purple haired girl did the same. “I’m Sucy M!”

“And we’re Red Disaster!” 

Akko sings the lead vocals while Sucy sings the low harmonies and Lotte sings the high ones. The harmonizing girls also snap their fingers to keep time, while the brunette does her own thing as she sings the lyrics. 

_Dum dum dum_

Starting from Lotte, each of them sang a low ‘dum.’ As they sang the lyric, they turned their bodies to the right. They stood side view but their heads faced the audience. 

Their shoulders shimmied to the beat of the song, snapping their fingers at the same time while they sang the chorus. They were perfectly synchronized. 

_Whoah, oh, oh, oh (For the longest)_

_For the longest time_

_Whoah, oh, oh, oh (For the longest)_

_For the longest time_

After the chorus they all stop swinging. They make a V shape where Akko steps back as the middle point. 

_If you said goodbye to me tonight_

_There would still be music left to write_

_What else could I do?_

Akko caresses the underside of her bandmates’ chins during the next line. 

_I’m so inspired by you_

_That hasn’t happened for the longest time_

The brunette put her chin down and eyes up, looking bashful.

_Once I thought my innocence was gone_

_Now I know that happiness goes on_

Akko brought her chin up, and looked to her bandmates.

_That’s where you found me_

Sucy and Lotte broke their formation to form a straight line with Akko. They hooked their arms around the brunette while their free hands kept snapping the beat. The brunette sported a warm grin as she sang.

_When you put your arms around me_

_I haven’t been there for the longest time_

Their arms still linked on each other, they swung in the same direction side to side while singing the chorus. Akko would turn her head to the side of whoever was singing the next harmony. 

_Whoah, oh, oh, oh (For the longest)_

_For the longest time_

_Whoah, oh, oh, oh (For the longest)_

_For the longest time_

Sucy and Lotte both took a step back this time, simultaneously freeing their grasp on Akko. 

_I’m that voice you’re hearing in the hall_

_And the greatest miracle of all_

Akko looked back to Lotte’s side.

_Is how I need you_

She then looked back to Sucy’s side.

_And how you needed me too_

The brunette put her attention back to the audience. She looked so proud to be on stage with her best friends. 

_That hasn’t happened for the longest time_

Sucy and Lotte changed how the harmonies went for this one. Akko showed them how the Schuyler sisters covered this song and she wanted to do something similar in the next verse.

_Maybe this won’t last very long_

_But you feel so right and I could be wrong_

_Maybe I’ve been hoping too hard_

_But I’ve gone this far and it’s more than I hoped for_

The harmonizing girls aligned themselves with the lead singer again. They also went back to the original harmonies without failure. The purple haired girl noticed a group of people sitting on their table. She elbowed Akko for her attention. 

_Who knows how much further we’ll go on_

_Maybe I’ll be sorry when you’re gone_

The brunette looked at her with confusion but she kept on singing. Sucy pointed with her lips at their table. Akko looked at that direction and her whole face brightened.

_I’ll take my chances_

She glanced at the purple haired girl to nod at her.

_I forgot how nice romance is_

_I haven’t been there for the longest time_

Akko looked above the audience for the next part, simulating that she is speaking to herself in her own mind. 

_I had second thoughts at the start_

Her hand grasped at the air, clenching her fist at the second part of the next line. 

_I said to myself, “Hold on to your heart”_

Diana sat close enough that they could meet eye to eye. Akko’s hands gestured towards the middle of the crowd like she was offering something. Crimson eyes locked on the blonde sitting nearby. 

_Now I know the woman that you are_

The blonde checked her surroundings, searching for what Akko could be staring at. Her blue eyes went back to the singer, who wagged her eyebrows at her at the recognition. Her mouth curved into a smug grin as she sang. 

_You’re wonderful so far, and it’s more than I hoped for_

Akko brought her hands crisscrossed to her chest. She wiggled her shoulders in excitement. 

_I don’t care what consequence it brings_

_I have been a fool for lesser things_

One of her hands held onto the mic and the other held onto the mic stand. She squeezed her eyes shut while singing the next few lyrics. 

_I want you so bad_

_I think you ought to know that_

_I intend to hold you for the longest time_

Sucy and Lotte both grabbed onto the brunette’s shoulder. They forced her to stand side view like they did the first time they sang the chorus. Akko moved like water, they had practiced this part many times, she had no trouble synching up to them. 

_Whoah, oh, oh, oh (For the longest)_

_For the longest time_

_Whoah, oh, oh, oh (For the longest)_

_For the longest time_

They stopped snapping their fingers when they sang the chorus one last time. They ended the song by harmonizing the last word. 

The trio bowed in unison then gave each other high fives while the audience gave them a round of applause. Akko thanked them again and advertised their social media before leaving the stage. 

They quickly got back to their table where Diana, Hannah, and Barbara greeted them with hugs.

“You girls look amazing! I love the dresses.” Barbara said when they all took their seats. 

“You all sounded wonderful.” Diana said in a hushed tone. She didn’t want to talk over Croix who was awkwardly introducing the next performance. 

“Diana is very impressed with the song choice.” Hannah said with a teasing tone. The blonde’s face twitched at the comment but she neither confirmed or denied the claim. 

Sucy watched their interaction. She guessed that Diana might’ve thought the song was about her, if they missed Akko’s introduction. She asked them when exactly they arrived at the restaurant.

“We were in the lobby when we heard Akko introduce herself. The staff didn’t believe us at first when we said we were with you. Croix had to clear up the confusion before they finally sat us.” Barbara explained plainly. 

The purple haired girl grinned. She made a mental note to tell Akko about her theory later. 

Hannah apologized for being late and said that they got there as fast as they could. Akko said that Croix will record and upload every performance so the rush wasn’t necessary. 

“Experiencing your performance live is different from watching a recording.” Diana chimed in with an air of superiority. She would know, she replayed the band’s performance at the last open mic a hundred times by now and none of it compared to the first time she heard it.

“Akko told us you’re the reason why the open mic is a weekly event now. Thank you, Diana!” Lotte said cheerfully. 

Hannah and Barbara said in unison “Wait, what?” Diana anxiously twirled a piece of her hair as she avoided eye contact from anyone at their table.

The brunette explained what Croix told her when she picked up the flyers for the open mic.

The auburn haired girl felt offended that her best friend didn’t even mention that she paid for the lunch. 

“She doesn’t tell you everything?” Sucy asked inquisitively. “Akko tells us _everything._ ” She added with a smirk. 

Diana attempted to defend herself. “I was not trying to hide that fact. I simply did not think that it was worth mentioning.” She wasn’t lying, she completely forgot that she paid for the lunch until Akko mentioned it through text. She had other things occupying her mind. 

“By everything, you mean every detail?” Barbara could sense that there was something to uncover. 

Lotte nodded. “Sometimes too many details. She gets derailed on her own stories because of it.” Sucy nodded along with her. Akko was listening but her face didn't hint at either agreement or disagreement.

Barbara sighed. “Do you wanna know how many drinks we have to get her to drink till Diana talks anything about herself?” She wished her best friend was as loose lipped as Akko. 

The brunette would've liked the answer to that but she had no trouble connecting with Diana. “We didn’t drink on our first date and she still talked about herself.” The blonde smiled at her approvingly.

“Not everyone is like you, Akko. Some of us have to work for it to melt the ice queen.” Hannah chimed in immediately. She elbowed the blonde who was sitting next to her in the circular table.

“That’s so cute, we call Akko a space heater sometimes.” Lotte thought their nicknames being polar opposites made their romance that much better. 

“Yeah, ‘cause she’s so freaking warm all the time. Sitting next to her on the couch feels like hell.” Hannah and Barbara talked about how Diana looks, acts, and feels like an ice queen. 

Akko decided to stop listening to her friends talk about her and Diana. She turned to the blonde to lean in and whisper to her. “Maybe I can convince Croix to start the event a little later so you don’t have to rush here.” She rightfully assumed that Hannah was the one to drive their friend group to the restaurant. 

Diana shook her head before she leaned in to whisper. “You do not have to do that. We were late tonight because we had an accident in the lab when we were about to leave.”

“Oh no, what happened?” This time the brunette didn’t whisper. She pulled her head back and worry was written all over her face. 

The blonde said in a hushed tone instead of whispering. “Nothing dire. There was a spill and—.”

Hannah noticed the two were talking to each other instead of the group. “Are you two going to share with the rest of the class?” She didn’t want to miss out on anything interesting. 

Akko answered right away. “Diana was telling me why you three were running late.” 

The auburn haired girl hid her disappointment. “Ah. Her aunt came in last minute to tell Diana something and she ‘accidentally’ spilled a sample.” She answered in a casual tone that was borderline bored. 

“Wow, what a bitch.” The purple haired girl had no problem saying the first thought in her head. 

“Sucy!” Lotte smacked her friend on the shoulder. 

“No, it’s okay. Daryl _is_ a bitch.” Barbara reassured them that they share the same opinion. 

The blonde held the bridge of her nose. “Please refrain from insulting my aunt and your employer like that.” It’s against her morals to badmouth somebody behind their backs, even if she thinks they deserve it. 

“Diana, you threatened to dethrone her as CEO if you missed the band’s performance.” Hannah pointed out as if her friend wasn’t any better than them. 

“That is not insulting her.” The blonde failed to see her point. 

Akko watched the exchange wide-eyed. “You can do that?” She had no clue where Diana placed in the Cavendish hierarchy. 

Diana usually did not like talking about her family, but the way the brunette looked at her with awe made her feel different. “It would mean a fallout within our family, but yes.” She admitted without reluctance. She only loved her aunt out of duty. 

The brunette blushed. This meant that Diana was willing to give up what family she had left just to watch her perform on stage. Sure, she probably only said what she said in the moment, but some part of her was serious enough to say it. 

“Don’t encourage her. If she does that then that means she has to take over as CEO. She barely has time as it is.” Barbara warned them. Diana is too prideful to let anybody that isn’t a Cavendish be in charge. She might not like her aunt, but she still bears her name. 

“Especially now since she only wants to spend her free time with Akko.” Hannah elbowed the blonde again to tease her. She loved the fact that Diana finally found someone she was interested in. 

“Like you’re any better. You do the same with Amanda.” The black haired girl was genuinely whining. She sounded bitter about how her best friends were finding love while she’s left alone. 

“Okay, I didn’t believe Akko when she was telling me this. Are you and Amanda actually a thing?” Sucy had to clear this up. The American isn’t known to tie herself down to one person.

“Akko, is there anything you don’t tell them?” The auburn haired girl had to deflect attention away from her. 

The brunette shrugged. The first and only time Akko told Sucy about Hannah and Amanda was when she came home early and she told her about how Hannah was flirting with Amanda all night. “I don’t know why they think I tell them everything. I didn’t tell them how Diana was trying to act all cool at the end of our date and I put a stop to it.” She said nonchalantly. It was the first example she could think of.

The whole table erupted with outbursts. Hannah and Barbara demanded to know what Akko meant. Sucy and Lotte were flabbergasted about the fact that their best friend didn’t tell them about this. It was the type of thing Akko loved to brag about. Diana whined at her not to say any more.

Croix had to come up to them to tell them to keep it down, especially when there were performers on stage. The café owner made a mental note to reserve them a table far away from the stage for next time.

Hannah and Barbara knew not to ask Diana so they begged Akko to explain. Sucy was threatening the brunette with a fork. Lotte shook her fist at her. 

Akko didn’t pay them any attention. She turned to the blonde. “Should I tell them?” Her question was completely genuine.

Diana narrowed her eyes, analyzing the brunette’s true intentions written on her face. She surmised that Akko will do anything she says. 

“Let them guess.” The blonde said coldly. She felt confident that they wouldn’t come close to the truth.

Akko blinked at the answer, but replied with a cheerful ‘okay.’ She turned back to the girls eager to know the story. “You heard the boss.” She shrugged with her hands pointing at Diana. 

The brunette was bombarded with questions and Croix had to come tell them to keep it down yet again. The noisy girls apologized profusely to the owner and promised that this was the last time she had to remind them. 

Akko was surrounded by chaotic energy emitting from her and Diana’s friends. She watched the four of them deliberate among each other at the other end of the table about what questions to ask the brunette to get her to say what they wanted her to say.

“I could get used to this.” Akko whispered to Diana with a mischievous smile. 

Diana exchanged the same smile. “My friends do not mesh well with other people, and yet they made fast friends with yours.” Their friend group never increased in size throughout the years. That all changed when they met Red Disaster. 

Akko rested her chin on her fist. “Another reason to keep seeing each other, then.” She glanced at Diana’s lips before going up to stare into blue. 

The blonde smiled smugly at the trajectory of those crimson eyes. “As if we needed more reasons.” She glanced at the girls who were huddled up together, scheming her demise. She couldn't feel less threatened.

“Visit me at work tomorrow?” The brunette licked her lips. She hoped she didn’t need to ask what she really wanted from the blonde. 

“I was already planning on it.” The blonde’s response answered both Akko’s question and her request. 

Diana didn’t care if her friends saw what was going to happen next. She closed her eyes and kissed Akko on the lips. She pulled away when she felt the brunette smile. 

If their lips lingered on for a second longer, their friends wouldn’t have been able to keep their promise to Croix. They had no idea what had transpired while they were preoccupied with their plotting. 

Akko didn’t lie on stage when she said the song represents how the band felt after performing for the first time. She merely didn’t mention the part where the song also accurately depicted how she feels about Diana. 

Diana had missed the part where Akko explained why the band chose to perform their song. She is utterly convinced that the song was about her after Akko made eye contact with her on stage. 

But that is a conversation for another time. For now, Red Disaster and the three girls from Cavendish Cross enjoyed a lively dinner with each other. They will have something like this for many Friday nights to come. 

For the longest time, Diana and her friends lived a life of routine and monotony. It was comfortable and peaceful, but gave little room for excitement. 

For the longest time, Red Disaster didn’t know when their next performance would be. Their schedules were fluid, but unpredictable. Stability had no place in their lives. 

The six of them meeting each other broke them out of their molds. Their conflicting lifestyles met somewhere in the middle.

And they were all happier for it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally I was going to end this series with 'Honey' (which is due for a rewrite, still) but when I got Akko talking about a second date, a couple of new ideas came to me. So there is a possibility it doesn't end there.
> 
> That's in the far future though, I can't get ahead of myself! I still have at least one (maybe two) fic planned before 'Honey' takes place. I say maybe because I only have the outline ready for the next fic, I don't have anything concrete. Once I start writing, sometimes it takes me places I never expected to end up in.
> 
> Anyway, I hope the length of this fic didn't scare ya'll off. I didn't expect it to get this long. I didn't even anticipate needing two chapters. Let me know what you think! I know I don't reply to comments fast (or at all, sometimes), but I promise that I read them all. I'm a lil shy is all, hehe.

**Author's Note:**

> I may have had too much fun with the tags there, I'm not sorry, lol.


End file.
